Digimon: The Next Generation
by Angel of Hope1
Summary: 13 up. A rewrite of the second season. Major Takari.
1. disclaimer

            Disclaimer:  I don't own Digimon, any of the characters, any of the creatures, or anything, period.  I make no money off this, or at all some weeks, so no lawsuits please.  I also don't own any of the songs that I use.  Digimon: The Next Generation is a rewrite of the second season of Digimon.  The changes are sometimes small, sometimes massive.  Firstly, TK and his mother didn't move back to Odiba when season 2 started.  Instead, they moved to Tokyo, where TK continued adventuring in the Digital world.  Davis, Cody, and Yolei were still called as Chosen, but they and the original Chosen never faced the Digimon Emperor.  They may have dealt with some of his effects on the Digital World, but they never directly confronted him.  Then, roughly two years ago, a new Chosen named Ken Ichijouji came to Odiba and he and his partner, Wormmon joined the newer Chosen in defending the Digital World.  TK and Kari have stayed in touch over the years and have visited each other occasionally.  Please try to keep in mind that the ages of the original eight Chosen are based on their physical ages after prolonged exposure to the altered time filed of the Digital World when they first entered it.  Thusly, even though TK and Kari are in the same grade as Davis, they are technically nearly a year older than he is.  Please feel free to contact me if there's something you want to ask about, suggestions for the evolution of the story, or if you just want to comment on the story.  The ages of the Chosen are listed below.  Thank you.

            -Angel of Hope-

TK, Kari: 17- sophomores in High school

Davis: 16- sophomore in High school

Yolei, Ken: 18-Juniors in High School

Cody: 15-Freshman in High School (he's really smart and skipped a grade or two.)

Tai, Matt, Sora: 20-Seniors in High School

Joe: 21-Freshman year at college, medical school

Izzy, Mimi: 19-Seniors in High School

Songs:

            "The Boys are Back in Town" by Everclear, album unknown

            "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Everclear, Songs From an American Movie, Volume One.


	2. chapter 1

**Digimon: The Next Generation**

            Chapter 1

            Kari Kamiya hurried down the corridor of her high school towards the main office.  The principal had asked her to come down and show a new student around.  It wasn't a big deal, she had seen his schedule and he was in most of her classes.  Still, for some reason she was nervous about this.  It would be the first time she had shown someone around the school and she wanted to make a good impression with the faculty.  She reached the office and walked in.  The principal's door was closed but the secretary looked up as she came in and smiled at Kari.

            "Hello, dear," she smiled.  Her name was Mrs. Atkinson and she was a sweet motherly lady of seventy-six.  She took all of the students under her wing and made them her surrogate family.  "Mr. Dickson is informing the young man of the rules, but he should be done shortly.  It was so nice of you to agree to show him around."

            "Well, he has most of his classes with me," Kari explained.  "So it isn't really a problem.  Besides, it's always good to make new friends."  Kari and Mrs. Atkinson chatted for a few more minutes, Mrs. Atkinson asking how Tai was doing in his senior year, how her mother was, was Tai seeing anyone yet, was she and the like.  Finally, the door opened a crack and Principal Dickson popped his head out.

            "Ah, you're here.  Come in."  He motioned for Kari to come into his office.  As Kari walked in, she saw that there were two other people in the room.  One was an older woman, blonde and slightly petite, obviously the boy's mother.  The boy was tall, almost six foot two, with short blonde hair and a small goatee on his chin.  He rose and turned to great her, but they both froze when their eyes connected.  Kari had only met one other person who had such blue eyes. They just stared at each other for a moment.

            "Yes, Miss Kamiya, this is our new student…"

            "TK?" Kari interrupted, still looking into his eyes.  All of a sudden, the boy let out a whop and ran around his chair and caught Kari up in a hug.

            "KARI!  Man-o-man, I haven't seen you in years!  God, look at you!"  TK held her out at arms length, a smile glowing on his face.  "Christ, you grew!"

            "Look who's talking!" Kari laughed back.  "God, we haven't seen each other since we were kids!  Look at you!  I can still remember a time when I could look you in the eyes!"

            "Long over now, huh?"  Kari turned to the voice and smiled up at the blonde lady who had been sitting beside TK.  "It's so good to see you again, Kari," Ms. Takeshi smiled as she reached out and caught Kari in a hug.

            "Hello Miss Takeshi," Kari smiled, returning the hug.  "Why are you back in Odiba?  I mean, I know that you had planned to come back here six years ago, but that fell through."

            "Well, why don't you come over after school, and TK, you and I can talk about it then?  Right now, you two have classes to get to."  Kari and TK smiled back at her.  "Have fun, honey."  Ms. Takeshi kissed TK on the forehead and turned to the Principal.  "Thank you for your help, Mr. Dickson."

            "My pleasure, Ms. Takeshi.  I'm just pleased that Kari and Takeru already know each other."  TK frowned for a moment, but let it slide as Kari grabbed his arm.

            "Come on, TK.  We've got a free period first, so I get to show you around the school."  TK grinned and grabbed his backpack.

            "Let's go.  Bye, Mom."

            Kari and TK walked out into the throng of students arriving for school.  Kari yelled to TK over the din.

            "Let's head for the music room!  It's over this way!"  She suddenly felt a hand grab hers and looked down to find TK holding her hand.

            "We won't get separated this way," he responded to her unspoken question.  Kari nodded and suppressed the tinge of anticipation that shot through her at the touch.  They headed for the music room, which was empty for the moment, and ducked inside.  Kari let out a sigh as the quiet enveloped them and leaned back against the wall.  TK moved around the room, taking everything in.  He finally turned to Kari with a gleam in his eye.

            "OK, so why did we come here?"  Kari smiled in return.

            "They should be here any second."  TK raised an eyebrow in question, but was interrupted as the door opened and five individuals walked into the room.  The first was of medium height with poofy brown hair and a pair of goggles crowning his head.  The second was a shorter girl with red hair, laughing at whatever he had just said.  The third was a boy with blonde hair and cold, blue eyes, taller than the others.  He and the redhead were holding hands.  The fourth was a short boy with red hair and a laptop carrying case slung under his arm.  The final member of the group was a girl with shocking pink hair.  She was smiling as she talked to the redheaded boy next to her.  The first boy looked up as they entered and smiled.

            "Hi sis," he grinned, holding out his arms.  Kari grinned at him and came over and gave him a hug.

            "Hi Tai, Sora, Matt, Izzy, Mimi.  See you finally got up this morning," she laughed at her brother.

            "Well, not all of us like to be at school before we have to be," Tai replied as the others tried to hide their laughs.

            "He ran downstairs with his shirt half-buttoned and a piece of toast between his teeth again," Matt laughed.  "He's just lucky that I was driving today."

            "Thanks for watching out for him, Matt," Kari grinned.

            "Why did you come to school so early today, Kari?" Mimi asked.  Kari smiled and motioned for a grinning TK to come over from his place against the wall.

            "Mr. Dickson asked me to show a new student around today."

            "Greetings and welcome to the school," Izzy said, walking up to TK and shaking his hand.  Matt stood to the side, staring at the boy.  Suddenly, his eyes opened wide.

            "Matt, hun?" Sora wondered as he let go of her hand.

            "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Matt screamed as he grabbed TK in a massive hug and lifted him into the air.  "When the hell did you come back to town, squirt?"  Sora looked at TK again and let out cry of surprise.

            "It is you!  Oh my God, it's so good to see you again!"  She grabbed TK into a hug as soon as Matt let go.

            "It's good to see you too, Sora," TK replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek.  Tai and the other two looked confused.

            "Kari, who is this?" Tai asked.  TK grinned at him.

            "I am hurt.  After all, it wasn't that long ago that you asked me to watch over your little sister," he grinned.  Realization dawned in Tai's eyes.

            "TK!"  Tai grabbed him in a hug as did Izzy and Mimi.

            "So what are you doing here?" Matt demanded after the greetings had been finished.  TK shrugged.

            "Mom and I moved back.  We've got an apartment and Mom got a job with a magazine as a reporter.  Mom got me enrolled here and I start today.  I have to admit, it was a kick that Kari turned out to be the student to show me around."  Kari smiled back at him.

            "So have you introduced him to the others yet?" Tai asked.  Kari blushed slightly but shook her head.

            "Others?" TK wondered.

            "I'll fill you in later," Kari replied.  "Right now, we have to get to literature."  TK nodded and grabbed his bag, stopping briefly to give his brother another hug before he and Kari left the room and made their way down the hall.  They arrived at the class room with a few minutes to spare.  Kari took TK up to the teacher, a balding older man she introduced as Mr. Winston.

            "Mr. Winston, this is TK.  He's an old friend of mine and a new student here," Kari explained.

            "Alright, I have a Takeru Takeshi starting today.  I'm going to assume that's you?"  TK nodded in response.  "Alright.  You can sit next to Kari for right now.  I'm going to excuse you from the previous assignments, but remember to go over what we've already covered with Kari, since it will be on the final."  TK bowed and mode his way back to their seats with Kari.

            "You're awfully formal," Kari observed as they pulled out their books.  TK just shrugged.

            "You didn't get far in some of my old schools with out being very formal and proper."  Kari sensed that he didn't want to talk about it anymore and let the matter drop.

            "Oh my God; Kari, who is this walking deification of manhood?"  Kari grinned up at a pair of odd looking individuals.  A boy and a girl, the girl had purple hair and thin-rimmed glasses.  She was of modest height and had a fair complexion.  The boy next to her was slightly pale with blue hair.

            "Back off, Yolei.  TK, this is Yolei Inuoe, my best friend after you.  Next to her is our second resident genius along with Izzy.  This is Ken Ichijouji."  TK rose and bowed to both of them.

            "It's a pleasure to meet both of you."  Ken copied his bow.

            "The pleasure is ours."  He then grinned.  "Of course, as Yolei has been trying to teach me, you don't need to be so formal here."  TK grinned back and the two warmly clasped hands. 

            "It's good to finally find out what happened to you, man," TK grinned.  "You just vanished off the face of the Earth."

            "Nope, just left town.  Dad found a new job and we got out.  How've you been?"  TK shrugged.

            "Alright.  Can't really complain.  Finally came home and got reunited with my old friends."

            "You two know each other?" Kari broke in, slightly confused.

            "Ken and I used to go to school together," TK replied as they took there seats as class started.  Ken and Yolie sat next to TK and Kari.  The class went by quickly and when it ended, Kari turned to Yolei and Ken.

            "Hey, TK's got PE with me next, but could you show him to the locker room, Ken?  I mean, you've got PE with us and all."  Ken grinned.

            "And you don't want Davis to catch him alone?"  Kari winced as TK looked at them questioningly.

            "Davis?"

            "Davis Motomyia," Yolei replied.  "He had a massive crush on Kari for a while.  Right now, he's still trying to get her to go out with him, but he isn't as serious about it."  Kari blushed a darker shade of red.  TK laughed as he and Ken left the class room and made their way to the locker rooms.


	3. chapter 2

            Chapter 2

            "I kept meaning to call," Ken explained as he and TK walked through the halls towards the gym.  TK shrugged.

            "Hey, no big deal.  I mean, I did what I did of my own free will."

            "Yeah, but that shouldn't have happened to you," Ken replied.  TK shrugged again.

            "Look, stop worrying about it.  I was probably more worried about you."  They walked in silence for a while longer.

            "I thought you'd still have a limp," Ken spoke up.  TK shrugged once more.

            "I got used to it.  I can hide it most of the time.  I still can't play."  The last remark was made quietly, almost to himself, but a look of grief shot across Ken's face as they reached the locker room doors.  They were assailed by noise and body odor as they opened the door.  A small crowed was gathered around a young boy with slightly puffy hair and a striking resemblance to Tai.  He looked up as Ken and TK walked in and waved.

            "Hey, Ken!  For a minute, I thought you weren't going to make it!"  Ken waved back and grinned.

            "Hey Davis.  Like I would miss the chance to beat you in sports."  Davis laughed and then looked at TK.

            "Who's the new guy?"  Ken grinned.     

            "This is TK Takeshi.  He's a friend of mine from my old school.  He also knows Kari."  Davis raised an eyebrow.

            "Kari and I grew up together before I had to move away," TK explained as he changed into his gym clothes.  Davis nodded and they all moved out into the gym where Kari and several other girls were waiting.  Kari grinned as soon as she saw TK and waved.  He grinned and waved back and the boys made their way over to the coach.

            "Alright," the coach looked over the class.  "We've got a new kid starting today, so let's give him a workout.  Davis!  Ken!  Captains for soccer, start picking teams."  Davis and Ken moved to the front of the group of kids and did a quick round of rock paper scissors to decide who would go first.  Ken won.

            "TK."  Davis nodded and turned back to the rest of the kids.

            "Akira."

            "Yoshi."

            "Alex."

            "Carter."  The two teams quickly took shape and Ken and his team moved off to one side of the gym while Davis and his team moved to the other.  Ken motioned for a huddle and quickly sketched out the rules for TK.

            "Goal is over there, basic soccer rules.  Watch Davis, he and I are the best.  I'll try and keep him covered.  Everyone else, grab a position.  TK, are you going to be OK?"  TK just grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

            "Just tell me where to go."  The game quickly got under way and everyone focused on Davis and Ken who were obviously better than anyone else on the court.  Kari and several other girls watched from the sidelines.

            "Hey Kari, what's the story with the new kid?" one of them asked.

            "His name's TK.  He's an old friend of mine."  
            "So, why isn't he really playing?" another asked.  Kari shook her head.

            "I'm not sure.  He used to be really athletic.  I know he was into basketball before.  I'm really not sure."

            "Is he taken?" a third asked.  Kari turned to her and shot her a possessive look.

            "He will be."  She grinned and the others smiled at her, glad that Kari had finally found someone.  They turned back to the game, only to find that TK had taken possession of the ball and was making his way down field.  Kari began to cheer and the others joined her.

            It all happened so fast.  TK was making his way down field when Davis came out of seemingly nowhere.  In one move, he tried to steal the ball from TK, who shifted to keep it away from him.  Davis tried to get around him and TK shifted again and suddenly collapsed with a scream of pain.  Kari was halfway across the field before the scream had died.  Ken was next to him in an instant as TK lay on the ground, clutching his right leg at the knee.

            "What happened?" the coach demanded as he came jogging out onto the field.  Davis shrugged helplessly.

            "I didn't touch him!  I tried to steal the ball and he pivoted and suddenly his leg gave out.  I don't know!"  Ken was looking over TK's leg and spoke up.

            "It's an old injury.  His knee's out of whack and trying to pivot like that must have made it flare up."

            "How do you know that?" Davis asked as Kari ran up.

            "It happened at our old school," Ken replied, obviously trying to avoid the question.  He helped TK to stand and moved him over to the bleachers.  Kari kneeled next to TK, worry evident in her eyes.

            "I'll be alright."  TK tried to grin, but couldn't manage a convincing one.

            "Alright.  Ken, Kari, help TK to the nurse's office, then come back here and change.  If you're late to your next class, I'll write you both a pass."

            "Alright, thanks," Kari replied absently as she slung TK's right arm over her shoulder as Ken copied her movements with TK's other arm.  Together, they helped TK out of the gym, with Davis getting the door for them.  They made their way down the hall to the nurse's office.  As they entered the nurse, a plump, kind looking woman of middle years, looked up.

            "Oh dear," she gasped, seeing the obvious pain TK was going through.  "What happened?"  
            "TK has an old leg injury that got aggravated in PE," Ken replied.  The nurse nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face.

            "What exactly is the injury?" she asked.

            "Nothing," TK replied.  "Just an old leg wound.  I'll be fine in an hour or so."  Ken started to protest, but TK shot him a glare that made him be silent.

            "Well, I don't happen to believe you," the nurse responded, looking over TK's leg.  "It looks to me like your leg was shattered a few years ago.  Badly, from the size and shapes of the scars you still have on your leg.  Why wasn't this included in your file?"  TK refused to answer and Ken stayed silent.  Finally the nurse just shrugged and gave up.  "Well, I can't force you to tell me.  Still, I am going to confine you here for the next hour and see how you are then."  TK nodded and struggled to lie down in the bed.  Kari ended up helping him at which he smiled in gratitude.  She and Ken then left to go change and get to their next class.


	4. chapter 3

            Chapter 3

            Kari rushed through the halls of the high school towards the nurse's office.  Her last two periods had gone by at a crawl and it was finally lunch time.  She was on her way to check on TK and hoped that he would be alright to come eat lunch.  Still, the nurse's words from earlier had haunted her mind.

            "It looks to me like your leg was shattered a few years ago."  She kept trying to wonder how it had happened.  They had been best friends for years, yet he had never mentioned breaking his leg.  She slowed as she neared the office and quietly walked in.  She was startled to hear the TK already had a visitor and was even more surprised when she realized it was Ken.  The two were partially hidden behind the white curtain that separated the beds from the rest of the room.  Kari was about to go over but stopped when she heard Ken speak.

            "I'm sorry."

            "What for?" TK wondered.

            "Your leg would be fine and you'd still be playing basketball if it wasn't for me," Ken replied, the bitterness in his voice obvious.

            "Maybe," TK admitted.  "Of course, by taking all the blame, you completely overlook the fact that I did what I did of my own free will.  You didn't force me and you didn't coerce me.  I did what I did because I thought it was the right thing to do and you didn't force me into it.  And it's rude to listen to private conversations, Kari."  Kari blushed as she heard Ken's chair screech against the floor as he turned in surprise.

            "I didn't mean to listen in, I just came by to see if you could leave yet and if you wanted to get some lunch."  The look on TK's face told her that he didn't believe a word she said, but he chose not to call her on it.  He got up and gently got to his feet.

            "The nurse said that I could go by lunch, so let's go.  I'm starved."  The three made their way out and towards the lunch room.  They got their food and headed for the doors so they could eat outside.  Once out there, they quickly found Yolei and Davis already sitting on a park bench under a tree with a younger boy.

            "TK, this is Cody Hida.  He finishes out our little group.  Cody, this is Takeru Takeshi, my best and oldest friend."

            "Call me TK," TK grinned as he held out his hand to the younger boy.

            "It's nice to meet you," Cody replied, taking TK's hand in a firm grip.  They all sat down and ate quickly.

            "So what happened in PE, TK?" Yolei asked after finishing her food.  TK shrugged as he finished swallowing his food.

            "Nothing.  An old injury flared up."

            "For some reason, I wouldn't think of a shattered leg as nothing," Davis commented.

            "It was a long time ago," TK countered, clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore.  Davis pressed on.

            "I heard about you on the sports circuit.  TK Takeshi, the basketball God.  You were the best player at Imperial.  Then you just dropped out of sight for a few months a couple years ago and didn't play after that.  I guess that a shattered leg will kind of put a damper on your jump shot, huh?"  TK slammed his hands down on the table with such force that the cups rattled.  His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and even, but everyone could still tell that he was angry.

            "I don't want to talk about it."  Davis shrugged and leaned back, taking a drink from his pop.

            "Sure, whatever.  So why did you come back to Odiba?  I mean, from what Kari's told us of you, you left a while ago.  Why come back now?"

            "What's it to you?" TK asked in a cold voice.

            "Just trying to be friendly," Davis answered.

            "Well, it's none of your business," TK replied, standing.  "I'll see you in class, Kari."  With that he moved away and swiftly vanished into the crowd.  Kari looked after him and then glared as Davis.

            "My best friend comes back after eight years, and you have to chase him off on the first day?"

            "What, all I did was ask some friendly questions," Davis defended.  "Not my fault that he has a chip on his shoulder."

            "I'm with Davis on this one," Cody spoke up.  "All TK had to do was say that he didn't want to talk about it.  Instead, he stormed off."  Kari sighed and rose.

            "Well, I'm going back in.  I'll see you all after school."  The group all nodded in reply and she headed off for the library.  Davis rose a minute later.

            "Got to go check in with the couch about the next game," he explained.

            "Let me know if he's decided on the openers yet," Ken called as Davis walked away.  Davis headed for the school at a leisurely pace, but quickened his step after he got out of sight of the table.  He headed for the open field and quickly saw TK in a meditative state underneath a tree in front of the school.  He walked up and sat down next to him.

            "I don't think you like me," TK spoke up after a moment.

            "Not really," Davis replied.

            "Mind telling me why?" TK asked.

            "Your past history with Kari," Davis replied.  "Kari is my girl.  Stay away from her."

            "Kari is a person like you or me.  It's up to her who she likes and who she doesn't.  The very fact that you claim her like some kind of possession sickens me and makes me want to get her away from you even more."

            "I have her brother on my side," Davis countered.

            "I've known Tai longer than I've known Kari," TK replied, still in his lotus position with his eyes closed.  "Tai wants whatever will make Kari happy.  For some reason, I don't think you going around and telling everyone that Kari belongs to you will sit too well with him."

            "See, that's the problem," Davis said as he began to rise.  "Everyone else here already knows that Kari is my girl, so I don't usually have to say anything.  You're new, so you just don't understand yet.  But you will; eventually."  With that, Davis went inside while TK remained where he was.

            School finally ended and the group got together at their lockers, planning for the up coming weekend.  They laughed and joked, but Davis and TK never said a word to each other.  Finally, they were ready and made their way outside and down the street.  Davis was in the lead and led them to the corner and then stopped.

            "Alright, TK, this is where you go home."

            "Why?" TK asked mildly.

            "We have something to do that doesn't involve you," Cody replied.  "It's none of your business, so you might as well go home."

            "Fine," TK shrugged.  "I just need to get something."  He headed for a grove of trees sitting near by.  Davis, Cody and Yolei freaked.

            "Hey, get away from there!" Davis yelled.

            "It's just a tree," TK replied, shrugging.  He then lifted one hand to his mouth and whistled.

            "TK!  You're back!  I missed you.  What did you do?  Did you have fun?  Can we go home now, I'm hungry.  Did you make new friends yet?"  Everyone stared as a small, football shaped being flew down out of the trees.  It was brown with a white under belly.  It roughly resembled a pig, except that it was small and had a pair of bat wings growing out of it's head.

            "Patamon, slow down," TK laughed, hugging the bat-pig.  "I'm fine and I've got someone for you to meet."  Patamon looked up at the group with trepidation, but suddenly his eyes lit up.

            "Kari!"  Patamon flew out of TK's arms and flew to Kari, who gave him a hug.

            "It's good to see you again, Patamon," Kari laughed.  "How have you been?"

            "Okay, but I'm hungry," Patamon complained.  "Hey, if you're here, then Gatomon has to be around!  Hi Ken!"  Ken laughed and opened his arms for the little digimon.

            "It's good to see you again," he smiled.  "I'm sure that Wormmon will be glad to see you too."

            "Wow!  I get to see Gatomon and Wormmon in one day!  Yay!"  By now, Davis was fuming.

            "So, wait, you're a digidestined?" he demanded of TK.

            "Nope," TK replied, putting his hands in his pockets.  "I'm one of the original eight chosen.  I thought for sure that Kari or Ken would have told you."

            "You mean, you knew about them being digidestined?" Ken asked, perplexed.  "How?"

            "The look in their eyes," TK shrugged.  "The look of hopelessness when all of your realities are fairly brutally ripped away from you combined with the fulfillment of first joining with your partner.  It's the same look I and Kari had on our first adventures."

            "So you are a chosen," Cody repeated, like he was testing the words and not liking them.

            "Yep," TK shrugged as he turned to Kari.  "So where are your digimon hiding?  You don't leave them at home, do you?"

            "Of course not," Kari smiled.  "They usually hangout over in that grove of trees.  Come on.  After I pick up Gatomon, I need you to show me the way to your apartment.  Your mom did invite me over, remember?"  TK nodded.

            "Sure, no problem.  Of course, you may end up helping unpack a box or two.  You're welcome as well, Ken."

            "I think I'll take you up on that offer some other time," Ken grinned.  "I know how much catching up you and Kari have to do.  Now, let's go pick up our digimon and get going."  They headed over to the grove of trees Kari had indicated earlier.

            "Gatomon!  Come on down!"  A white cat jumped down and landed on its hind legs.  It wore a pair of yellow gloves with three claws coming out of each glove.  Its tail was longer than normal and had a stone ring on the end.  Four other beings quickly followed Gatomon out of the tree.  The first was a short blue lizard that stood on its hind legs and had huge eyes and a small horn starting to grow out of its snout.  The second was an armadillo of a yellowish color.  The third was a red hawk wearing a headband with a single feather sticking out of the back.  The final one was a green caterpillar, without the fuzz.

            "Davish!" the blue lizard cried as he threw himself into Davis' arms.  "I'm glad you're back!  Did you bring me anything to eat?"

            "Yolei," the red bird began.  "It appears that we have a guest.  Might you introduce us?"

            "Is that you TK?" Gatomon asked, walking up to him.

            "Yup," TK grinned, kneeling down and giving Gatomon a slightly awkward hug.  "It's good to see you again."

            "Hello TK, good of you to drop by," the green caterpillar said as Ken carried it over.

            "Hello, Wormmon," TK greeted.  "Good to see you back on your feet."

            "You two know this guy?" the armadillo asked in a distinctly Texan accent.

            "TK was one of the original Chosen children along with Kari," Gatomon informed him.  "TK, these are the new kids."

            "Hi there.  I'm Veemon," the blue lizard introduced himself.  "I'm Davish's partner.  Nice to meet you."

            "I'm Armadillomon," the armadillo drawled.  "Nice to meet another one of the firsts.  I work with Cody."

            "I am charmed to make your acquaintance," the red bird bowed.  "I am Hawkmon, Yolei's trusted partner.  It is an honor to meet the final Chosen.  It will be a pleasure working beside you in the future."

            "Nice to meet all of you," TK bowed.  "This is my partner, Patamon."

            "Hello," the flying pig greeted.  "It's nice to see you two again," he said to Gatomon and Wormmon.

            "Kari, we need to get going.  Do you need to let Tai know where you're going?"  Kari shook her head.

            "I found him earlier and told him that I'd be going over to your new place and call him from there."

            "Alright," TK nodded.  "In that case, let's get going.  Nice meeting all of you."  With that, TK and Kari left with Gatomon riding in Kari's backpack and Patamon riding in TK's duffel bag.


	5. chapter 4

            Chapter 4:

            "So, this job just fell in your lap?" Kari asked incredulously.  She and TK had arrived at the rather spacious apartment, which she was pleasantly surprised to find was only a few blocks from her own.  TK had been right about helping unpack, but Kari didn't mind and helped TK set up his room and got most of the living room and study unpacked and mostly sorted.  Now the three of them, TK, Kari, and Ms. Takeshi, were resting on the couch, drinking pops.  

            "Yep," Ms. Takeshi nodded.  "It was better pay, easier work hours, and a chance to come back to Odiba.  I knew how much TK wanted to come back here ever since we left.  Besides, I like it here."

            "Well, it's great that you're back," Kari smiled.  A knock at the door surprised them all.

            "I wonder who that could be." Ms. Takeshi pondered as she rose to answer the door.  She opened it slightly, than all the way to reveal Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, and Joe.

            "Hi Mom," Matt smiled, hugging her tightly.  "Welcome back."

            "Oh Matt, it's so good to see you again.  Come in, all of you.  So, the digidestined have managed to stay together after all these years?"

            "Some more than others," Tai grinned, poking Matt in the ribs.  Matt shot Tai a glare while Sora swatted him on the head.

            "Matt?"  Matt sighed and glared at Tai again.

            "Mom, you remember Sora, don't you?"

            "Of course, hello again, dear."

            "Hello, Ms. Takeshi," Sora smiled, bowing.

            "Oh, don't be so formal, any of you.  Just call me Nancy.  So you're the one who keeps Matt too busy to answer the phone."  Sora's face began to turn the color of a tomato while Matt made a strangling noise and the others laughed.  "Well, it's nice to meet you again."  Sora smiled, though her blush remained.

            "Thank you."

            "Now come in, all of you."  Soon, all the original children were seated around the living room, talking.

            "So TK, how did you like your first day at school?" Sora asked.

            "Not bad," TK responded.  "I got to meet the three new kids.  Not a bad bunch."

            "What are your honest assessments of them?" Matt asked, leaning forward slightly.  TK remained silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

            "Yolei comes off as an airhead, but she's very intelligent.  It's almost an act to cover up how intelligent she is.  My guess is that she can give you a run for your money, Izzy.  Cody is trying to grow up too fast, but I'd guess that there's a reason driving him to do that.  He is very judgmental and I'm afraid that he doesn't like me.  Part of that seems to stem from how much he looks up to Davis.  Davis I don't trust."

            "Why?"  Tai spoke first, but the question had been on everyone's minds, Kari included.

            "He's too arrogant," TK replied cautiously.  "He doesn't take this seriously enough.  I honestly believe that he thinks it's a game and that if he screws up, than he can just hit reset or something.  Also, I don't like his attitude.  He doesn't strike me as the type to follow orders or listen to other opinions.  I take it he crowned himself leader early on?"  The last question was directed to Kari, who nodded.

            "When we first got called back to the digital world, Davis and Veemon were the first to meet.  I don't know he just kind of became the leader, like Tai did when we first went to the digital world."  TK shook his head in disagreement.

            "No, Tai would listen to our ideas and reject his plans if another one made more sense.  I don't think Davis would.  Have you had to kill yet?"  Kari shook her head.

            "No and Davis is actually kind of reluctant to use too much force on evil or controlled digimon."  TK perked up at that.

            "Controlled?"

            "Yeah, we've been fighting some guy who calls himself the Digimon Emperor.  He's got a strange pair of ultimate-levels working for him named Arukenimon and Mummymon."  TK remained silent for a moment, processing the information.

            "Does he have any other digimon?  Not controlled ones, but any you've seen working for him besides Arukenimon and Mummymon?" 

            "No," Kari replied.

            "Nothing like a Lady Devimon or Skull-Satamon?" TK insisted.  "Have you seen any Stingmon working with him?"

            "No, nothing like that," Kari assured him.  TK sighed and slide a hand through his hair.

            "Sorry.  I thought it might have been someone.  Never mind."  Izzy began to protest, but TK remained silent.  The group spent the rest of the time catching up on the aspects of their lives when they weren't saving the world.  Eventually, everyone had to leave, since it was still a school night, but Kari was going to spend the night, with her mother's permission.  She and TK were going to spend part of the night going over what TK had missed earlier in the school year.  Kari briefly went home to get a change of clothes and her sleep shirt and then came back.  TK insisted on walking with her both ways.

            On the way back to TK's apartment, the pair was strangely silent.  The sky was dark and foreboding; a storm would be on Odiba soon.  By unspoken agreement, they quickened their pace in an attempt to outrace the storm.  The storm, however, had other plans.  The sky broke when they were four blocks from his building.  As soon as they felt the first raindrop the pair broke into a mad dash.  By the time they got inside the building, they were both soaked to the bone and laughing like crazy.

            "OK, that was fun," TK laughed.  "I haven't played in the rain in a while."

            "What?  How can you not play in the rain?" Kari laughed in reply as they rode the elevator to TK's floor.

            "Tokyo isn't the kind of place where you want to be out alone on the streets when it's dark," TK replied, some of the jubilation leaving his face.  "Even when it's raining."

            "Well, you're back in Odiba now, so we're just going to have to get you caught up on your rain-fun."

            "I'm game," TK grinned as they exited the elevator and he fished in his pocket for his keys.  "MOM!  We're home," he called as they walked in the door and took off their shoes.

            "Miss Takeshi!" Kari joined in.  TK frowned and immediately headed for the kitchen.  Kari set her bag, thankfully waterproof, down and followed him in.  She found him frowning at a white sheet of paper.

            "Mom had to go into work to cover a breaking story," TK explained.  "She's sorry, but there's food in the fridge.  Also, she reminded us to behave ourselves and to get some sleep.  Movie?" he asked, looking up.  For a brief moment, Kari thought she saw sadness in his eyes.

            "TK?  Are you alright?"

            "Sure," he shrugged, his eyes back to their usual, emotionless blue.  "Why wouldn't I be?"

            "Well, you were talking about how great it would be for the three of us to spend more time together," Kari replied.

            "Hey, things happen.  No point crying over spilled milk.  So I repeat; movie?"  His grin was slightly forced, but Kari could tell that he really didn't want to bring it back up, so she reluctantly let it go.

            "Movie."


	6. chapter 5

Chapter 5

            "Not too bad," Kari commented as the ending credits rolled down the TV screen.  The rain was still pouring.  Nancy had called earlier to tell them that she wasn't going to try and come home in this and that they should be extra careful.  TK had laughed in reply and reminded her that they had a pair of digimon with them.  Nancy had told him to still be careful and to monitor the weather.  About an hour ago, the schools had cancelled classes for the next day.  The streets were like miniature rivers at the moment, and the forecast for the next day didn't look much better.

            "I liked it when it came out," TK responded, standing and going over to look out at the pouring rain.

            "Who'd you see it with?" Kari asked, trying to gain some kind of new insight into his life in between Odaiba.

            "My ex-girlfriend," TK replied softly.  For a brief instant, Kari felt a pang of jealousy at the answer, but she quickly suppressed it.

            "Who was she?"  She tried to keep her tone mild and managed to hide most of the conflicting emotions within.

            "No one of consequence," TK replied gruffly.  "She was a pretty little cheerleader and I was the captain of the basketball team.  We dated for a little while, but it didn't work out.  How about you; anyone in your life?"  Kari laughed and for the briefest of moments, TK could only compare it to the sound of bells.

            "Davis had a huge crush on me in middle school and we went out once or twice, but he's too much like Tai.  We're good friends, but nothing more."

            "According to you," TK muttered.  Unfortunately, Kari had risen and come over close enough to hear him.

            "What's that supposed to mean?"  TK mentally kicked himself, but realized that Kari had a right to know what Davis had said.

            "Today at lunch, after Davis and I argued and I left, he came and found me.  He said that you were his girl and that I should back off."  Kari starred at him in a mixture of shock and horror.

            "You have to be kidding me," she whispered.

            "Do you honestly think that I would kid you about something like this?" TK asked.  "Look, Kari, I don't trust Davis.  I think deep down he's a good kid, but he hasn't grown up yet and he isn't ready to take responsibility for his actions or the repercussions that may follow from them."  He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.  "Please, just be careful with him."  Kari managed to smile and traced the outline of his jaw with her free hand.

            "I missed you," she whispered.  "You were always so much stronger and smarter than me."  TK gently smiled back.

            "My strength came from the faith you had in me.  I missed you, too."  Their faces were close, their lips just inches apart.  Neither seemed willing to move, unable to break the tender moment that had developed between them.  Nature finally intervened.  A massive, window shaking clap of thunder shook the apartment and Kari jumped in surprise; right into TK.  Their lips came together and TK pulled her into a crushing embrace.  She wound her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened while his arms moved to her waist.  The kiss continued to deepen until TK finally lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, Kari falling right along with him.

            Their lips had parted when they had fallen and TK managed to partially catch Kari as she fell on him.  Their eyes locked and for a moment, the entire world melted away.  Another clap of thunder broke them from their reverie and Kari awkwardly climbed off of TK and offered him a hand up.  They remained silent for several minutes before TK finally spoke up.

            "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to…that is…I mean, I liked it, but…awe hell."  He scratched the back of his head as his mind firmly refused to start working.  Kari suddenly began to giggle, which quickly turned into a full laugh.  "What's so funny?"

            "I'm sorry, you just always used to know exactly what to say to make everything seem okay.  It's just kind of funny that now you're completely lost for words."

            "It wasn't something that words can adequately describe," TK replied in a hushed voice.

            "I take it back," Kari returned, wrapping her arms around his neck once more.  "You still know what to say.  I liked that, TK.  It felt, right, somehow.  I don't want it to interfere with our friendship, but I don't want to run from it, either." Her large, brown eyes held a depth of emotion and hope that TK couldn't refuse.

            "Whatever happens, we stay friends?"  She smiled and nodded.

            "Friends that kiss and maybe make out?" she teased.  TK responded by pulling her into another deep kiss.

            "What are we going to do about Davis?" TK wondered after they had separated for air again.

            "I'm almost tempted to tell Tai and let him take care of it," Kari replied.  TK shrugged and turned to head into the kitchen.

            "While we plot the death of Davis, what do you want for dinner?"

            "Death?  I never said anything about death?  And how does pizza sound?"

            "What kind?  You wanted to tell Tai.  That amounts to a firing squad if I remember correctly."

            "Pepperoni.  Well what do you want to do to him?  The nerve of him, claiming me like I'm some kind of prize!"

            "Got it in the oven," TK replied as he came out of the kitchen.  "And you aren't a prize.  You're a treasure."  She laughed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her once more.

            "Why do we have to worry about Davis?" Kari breathlessly wondered as he released her to go get plates.  "Seriously, if he doesn't want to deal with the fact that we're together now, then that's not our problem.  The others will back us, and he's not really our concern."

            "Not everyone," TK replied as he came out.  "The old gang will back us, sure and Yolei is your friend, so we can count on her.  If push comes to shove, Ken will back me but I got the vibe that he and Davis have become good friends, so I wouldn't want to put him in that position."  
            "Okay, so what about Cody?"  TK stopped and hung his head.

            "I don't think Cody likes me," he muttered.  Kari came up and hugged his arm.

            "Share," she prompted, taking the plates from his hands and setting them on the table.

            "I'm not sure.  He was really cold to me today.  I think he sees me as an outsider trying to force my way in.  He isn't that old, is he?"  
            "No.  He's only 15.  Plus, he and Davis are pretty good friends.  That's a shame; Cody and I were becoming good friends."

            "Maybe he won't side," TK shrugged.  "He's fairly intelligent, so he might decide that it's not his place to say anything about who you're seeing."  Kari shrugged and twined her hands around his neck again.

            "Let's skip the Davis question for right now and go back to that, 'who you're seeing' thing again."  Their kiss was deep and probing and lasted until the timer went off on the oven.

            "Let me at least keep dinner from burning," TK gasped as he pulled away from her.  Kari giggled and let go.

            "Alright, but hurry back or no dessert."  TK grinned at her and headed for the kitchen as the phone rang.

            "Could you get that?" TK called.

            "Sure," she called back.  "Hello?  Takeshi residence?"

            "You answer his phone now, too?" Tai's voice came from the other end.

            "Hi bro.  What's up?"

            "Mom and Dad wanted me to call and check up on you.  You guys heard about school?"

            "Yep.  We caught it just before we popped in a movie."

            "Which movie?"

            "Escaflowne," Kari replied.  "What were you expecting?"

            "Just wanted to make sure you were alright.  You know how much I worry about you."

            "You don't have to anymore," Kari reprimanded and then stopped as she realized what she had just said.

            "What do you mean?" Tai asked.  Kari remained silent and Tai suddenly let out a whop of laughter.

            "You and TK?  Man, Kari, he just got back in town.  You sure move fast," he laughed.  "Seriously though, TK'll be good for you.  Just remind him that I'll kill him if he hurts you."

            "He won't hurt me, Tai," she defended.  "And you better not breathe this to a soul.  I mean it!"

            "Hey, lips are sealed.  Just have fun and be safe."  With a final laugh, Tai hung up while Kari gently lowered the phone and pressed the off button.

            "Who was it?" TK asked as he emerged from the kitchen.

            "Tai.  He knows about us now," Kari replied morosely.

            "Is he on his way over here to kill me?" TK asked.  Kari shook her head in response.

            "Actually, he was fairly supportive."  
            "That's very close to being frightening," TK replied, coming out and handing a plate to her.  "Dinner."  Kari grinned and kissed him on the cheek as she took the plate.

            "Thanks.  How do you want to break it to the others?"

            "That we had pizza for dinner?  I didn't think it would come up, but I guess I could be really mysterious about it," he joked.  Kari lightly slapped his arm with her free hand.

            "No, silly, about us."

            "Which 'us' are you talking about, exactly?" TK teased, pinning her against the table with his body.  "The 'us' that are old and dear friends who fight and kill for each other?"  He gently began to rain little kisses up and down her neck and head.  "Or the us that kiss and grope and are obviously very involved with each other?"  He emphasized the last point by capturing her lips once more.

            "I think I like that last one," Kari whispered against his lips.

            "I don't care," TK whispered.  "I lost you for eight years, Kari.  Now that I have you back, I don't want to let you go.  They'll get the picture eventually."  He captured her lips once more and Kari put her plate down on the table and wrapped her arms around him.

            "I still think we should tell them," Kari protested.

            "We'll think about it some other time," TK promised her.  "Tonight, I want to eat dinner with you and catch up on the last eight years  Tonight I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, and tomorrow I want to rediscover the digital world through the eyes of a grown up and breathtakingly beautiful Angel of Light."  Kari blushed at his last remark but smiled and nodded as he let her go.  TK moved over into the sofa and sat down with his pizza while Kari remained standing by the table.

            "I think I can agree with all those.  But TK?  We…um that is…I don't…"  TK grinned down at her discomfort.

            "Kari, what ever it is, just say it.  I'm not going to think any less of you."

            "I don't have any protection with me," she finally blurted out.  TK stared at her for a moment and then began to laugh.  Kari blushed and even deeper shade of red.  TK set his plate down on the floor and moved over to Kari and swept her up into a fierce embrace.

            "Kari, why would we need any?" he grinned down at her.

            "Well, I mean, you said that you wanted to sleep with me," she struggled.  TK laughed again and kissed her on the forehead.

            "No, Kari.  I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.  I don't want to make love to you; not yet.  We just started this relationship.  I think we can take it a little slower than that."

            "But, I mean, we've already been moving so fast."  Kari fell silent, at a loss of words to explain how she felt.

            "Is that bothering you?"  TK's tone was extremely gentle and filled with the unspoken promise of slowing down, if she wanted to.

            "No!  It's just, I don't know, we started out as friends and suddenly we're kissing and planning on telling everyone that we're involved."

            "Don't you want to be with me?"  On the surface, it seemed like such a simple question, but there was a catch in his voice as he asked it that made Kari study his eyes.  There was sorrow there; mixed with fear and a longing for something that Kari couldn't place.

            "Of course I do," Kari replied, soothingly running her hand along his back.  "It's not a question of that.  I'm just kind of surprised at how quickly we got together."  
            "We do have the added advantage of having known each other since childhood," TK pointed out.  "Even though I have barely seen you in the last eight years, we still kept in contact, so we get to skip the whole, 'getting to know each other' stage.  We've done that.  We're just skipping ahead to the good stuff.  Is that alright?"

            "Of course it is," Kari smiled.  "I'm sorry; it's just that most of the boys I dated always wanted to get into my pants."

            "And so does this one," TK grinned.  "I just happen to want to take the long, romantic, caring way to do it."

            "Well, it's never been tried before," Kari admitted.  "What happened to Patamon and Gatomon?"  TK blinked and looked around.

            "I kind of lost track of them.  Hey, Patamon!  Where'd you go?"  TK and Kari moved around the apartment, searching for their digimon until they were finally located, sleeping in the spare bedroom that had yet to be set up.

            "I guess we should leave them," Kari whispered.  TK nodded and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

            "We should follow their example.  I want to be well rested for our jaunt into the digital world."  Kari mutely nodded and they headed to TK's room.  Kari grabbed her nightgown and headed for the bathroom while TK quickly changed into a pair of running shorts and a tank top.  He pulled back the covers on his bed and looked around for anything he might have forgotten.  A hesitant knock on the door caused him to turn.  Kari stood, framed in the dark doorway.  Her nightgown clung to her, showing off her curves and her hair flowed loosely down her back and hung over her left shoulder.  TK's breath caught in his throat.

            "God," he whispered.  "You look so beautiful."  Kari blushed slightly as she climbed into the bed and TK's arms.  "Sleep well, my Angel," TK whispered into her ear as she drifted off.


	7. chapter 6

Chapter 6

            "NO!!"  TK shot up in bed, his scream waking Kari in an instant.  Sweat poured down his forehead as he tried to reorient himself to his surroundings.

            "TK?  TK, what is it?"  Kari wrapped her arms around TK's shivering frame and was shocked when, for a moment, he tried to pull away.

            "Kari?"  He quickly relaxed into her embrace, still shaking.

            "TK?"

            "TK are you alright?"  Patamon and Gatomon rushed into the room, ready to fight if their partners were in any danger.

            "It's alright guys.  It was just a dream.  Just a dream," he softly repeated to himself.

            "Was it the same one?" Patamon asked.  TK simply nodded.  "Do you want a hug?  The ones your mom gave you seemed to help.  Oh, never mind, Kari's taking care of it."

            "Patamon," TK began, but seemed to change his mind.  "Never mind; just head back to bed you two.  I'm sorry I woke you up."

            "Are you going to be alright, TK?" Gatomon asked once more as she paused in the doorway.

            "I thought you were supposed to watch over Kari," TK laughed.

            "Or the one she loves," Gatomon shot back as she left.  TK and Kari remained quiet for a few more minutes, while TK simply breathed in the sent of her hair, calming himself.

            "So are you going to talk to me?" Kari finally asked.

            "It's nothing," TK replied.

            "This relationship is not getting off to a good start," she retorted.  "TK, talk to me.  You were terrified.  What was your dream?  You've had it before, so surely you can remember something."  TK remained silent for several moments.

            "It's a memory," he whispered.  "It's a memory about one of the dumber mistakes I've ever made and it won't leave me alone."

            "What is it?  What mistake?"

            "Please, don't ask me that.  Not tonight."  Kari looked into his eyes, and felt herself cringe at the loneliness and despair that lurked in them.

            "Alright.  But I'm not letting you off that easily."

            "I will tell you, sometime," TK replied.  "I promise.  Just, not now."  The couple lay back down, but as she began to drift back to sleep, Kari noticed that TK seemed to be clinging to him just a little tighter than before.

            "How do pancakes sound for breakfast?" TK asked the next morning as they dressed.

            "Sure," Kari replied as she buttoned up her shirt.

            "Great," TK replied.  "Just give me a few minutes to go out and get the mix."

            "Is there any food in this house?" Kari laughed.

            "Um, probably not?" TK grinned back.  Kari was relieved that he seemed to be back to his old self after last night, but she made a mental note to ask Mrs. Takeshi about his nightmares.

            "Well, then why don't we just head to the digital world now, and we can grab something to eat there," TK suggested.  "I know this great diner."

            "Sounds like a plan," Kari replied just as the phone began to ring.

            "Hello, Takeshi residence," TK answered.

            "TK?  This is Yolei.  Is Kari there?"

            "Yes, but how did you know that and get the number?" TK laughed.

            "Tai told me when I called her house," Yolei replied.

            "Alright, one second."  TK handed the cordless to Kari.  "For you, milady," he smiled.

            "I thank thee, milord," Kari grinned in reply.  "Hello?"

            "Kari Kamiya!  First, why aren't you in the digital world with me?  Second, I want details!"

            "Yolei!" Kari laughed.  "Why are we patrolling now?  Normally we wait until after school."

            "No school, and hot date," Yolei laughed back.

            "Alright, TK and I were going to come anyway.  Where do you want to meet?"

            "Ohh, double date!" Yolei cheered.  "How about Andromon's Machine City?"

            "Alright, we'll meet you two there in an hour," Kari laughed.  "First, TK and I are going to go get breakfast.  We'll see you after that."

            "Hey, I haven't eaten either!" Yolei protested.  "Why don't we meet at the city and then we can go get breakfast first!  Besides, I want to meet this guy some more!  After all, a guy who can get you to sleep over on the first date has to be worth meeting."

            "Yolei!" Kari screeched.  "We've known each other for years!  We've slept over before!"

            "When you were kids," Yolei replied in a smug sounding voice.  "I'll see you in a few minutes."  With that, the two hung up and Kari turned to the grinning TK.

            "She sounds friendly," he grinned.

            "She's been a great friend," Kari replied.  "I was lucky to meet her shortly after you had to move.  She made it easier.  Well, it's mine and Yolei's day to patrol the digital world, so would you mind coming along on that?"

            "Of course not," he smiled.  "Just don't expect me to stick around if you two start talking about nail polish and cute actors."

            "Well, since Ken's coming along, you'll have someone else to talk to," she called over her shoulder as she went to grab her digivice.  Silence greeted her response, so she looked back at a worried TK.  "TK?  What's wrong?"  
            "Ken still travels in the digital world?" TK asked, carefully placing his words.

            "Of course," Kari replied.  "I mean, he is a Chosen.  Why wouldn't he?"

            "Nothing," TK replied a little too quickly.  "It's nothing."

            "How long have you known Ken?" Kari asked, concern and curiosity warring for dominance in her voice.

            "A couple years," TK replied.  "Like I said, I went to school with him."

            "He barely talks about himself," Kari continued.  "It was weeks before he even talked to any of us, even though he followed us into the digital world on a daily basis.  He seemed to watch over me a lot.  At least enough to make Davis jealous.  What?"  TK was grinning and shaking his head.

            "Nothing.  Now can we go, I'm hungry."

            "You, Takeru, are becoming annoying," Kari threw over her shoulder as she pulled up the digital gate.  "Digiport, open!"

            "But you still love me," TK retorted as he stepped up next to her, his own digivice in hand.  "Patamon!  Gatomon!  We're heading out!" he called.  The two quickly ran into the room and joined their partners.

            "You left a note for your mom?" Kari checked.

            "I called her at work.  She said to be sure to be back by dinner at the latest.  Tai and your parents?"

            "They know that it's my day to patrol, so it shouldn't be a problem.  Besides, I've got my cell phone on me."

            "Then let's go," TK laughed, clicking a button on his digivice and felt himself be pulled into the portal between the realities.

            Yolei shrieked and jumped back as TK and Kari came flying out of the TV set she and Ken had been sitting near.

            "Kari!  Warn me next time, will you?"

            "Sorry Yolei," Kari grinned; then gasped.  Standing next to her were her own partner, Gatomon, and TK, but Patamon was nowhere to be seen.  In his place, loomed Patamon's champion form, Angemon.  The winged angelic digimon smiled down at her from his seven feet, his battle staff held loosely in one hand, his helmet covering his eyes.

            "Hello, Kari.  It's a pleasure to see you again," he greeted, genuine fondness in his voice.

            "Angemon?  But, how?"

            "I have become strong enough to be able to remain in my champion form permanently, as long as I'm the digital world," he replied.

            "Wow," Yolei whispered, taking in the sight of the angel.

            "You are Yolei, right?" he asked.

            "Um, yes, but we've never…   Wait, you're Patamon's champion form?"  Angemon nodded.

            "That would be me.  Ken," he greeted, inclining his head politely but there was an edge to his voice.

            "Angemon it's, ah, that is, it's good to see you again," Ken replied.

            "You two know each other?" Yolei demanded.

            "Ken and I meet while TK and I were on a mission in the digital world several years ago," Angemon replied.

            "Well, well, look who decided to come down from his high cloud," Wormmon laughed as he climbed up onto Ken's shoulder to talk to the rather tall digimon.  "How've you been?"

            "Well, and yourself tiny little green thing?" the angel grinned in reply.

            "Still can't come up with something original, can you?" Wormmon sighed, dramatically shaking its head.  "You used up that line years ago.  Oh well, at least Hawkmon is fairly witty company."

            Angemon threw back his head and laughed and Ken, TK and Wormmon quickly joined them.

            "Gods, but I've missed this," TK grinned.  "But, before your little insult fest continues, let's go get some food."

            "Certainly," Hawkmon spoke up.  "But where is it we are going, exactly?  It's rather hard to go somewhere if you don't know where it is."

            "Not really," TK grinned in reply as Angemon picked him up.  "I hate to break any illusions you might have, but our original adventures against Devimon, Myotismon, and the Dark Masters?  We winged that all the way.  Follow me!" he called as Angemon shot off the ground.

            "TK!" Kari laughed.  "Alright, he wants a race, let's give him one.  Gatomon, digiarmor energize!"

            "Gatomon armor digivolve to Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"  Kari kept laughing as she jumped onto the back of the massive winged cat and the pair took off.

            "I guess we follow," Yolei grinned.  "Hawkmon, how about a lift?"

            "It would be my pleasure," the hawk grinned.  "Hawkmon digivolve to Aquilamon!"

            "Wormmon digivolve to Stingmon!"

            Those two aren't in love at all, are they?" Ken grinned from the shoulder of his massive insect warrior as he caught up to Yolei on the back of her giant, double horned, red bird.

            "Oh, not at all," Yolei grinned in reply.  "Aquilamon, let's fly circles around them, alright?"

            "TK's the one who knows where we're going," the bird replied.

            "I've got a fairly good idea as to where he's going," Ken grinned.  "Let's see who rules the air, eh Stingmon?"

            "You know good and well that Angemon can fly hexagons around me," Stingmon protested.

            "Maybe, but he'd have to catch us to do that," Ken laughed.  Stingmon joined in his laughter as the pair shot off with a wave to Yolei and Aquilamon.

            "Do all boys think this much about competition?" Yolei wondered as she and Aquilamon caught up to Kari and Nefertimon.

            "You could remember that I'm technically male," Aquilamon pointed out.  Yolei grinned down at him.

            "Sorry partner.  So, has he changed much?" she asked Kari, who was watching Angemon and Stingmon engage in a mock aerial battle with their partners laughing all the time.

            "A little," she admitted.  "But everything that drew me to him in the first place is still there.  I just wish he'd talk to me."

            "Problems?" Yolei wondered.

            "TK had a nightmare last night that shook him up really bad," Nefertimon replied.  "He wouldn't tell Kari what it was about."

            "Were you listening at the door?" Kari accused.

            "Of course I was," Nefertimon brushed the accusation off.

            "And you two were together when he had this nightmare?" Yolei grinned.

            "Yes, Yolei, we slept together last night, but we didn't have sex, so get your mind off that," Kari smiled.  "We decided to start going out last night after a few accidental but meaningful kisses."

            "Good kisser?"

            "Like you'll never believe," Kari smiled dreamily.

            "Kari's got a boyfriend!" Yolei sang as they flew on.

            "I wonder how much farther it is to this place TK was talking about," Aquilamon broke in.

            "Do you only think about food," Yolei teased.

            "No, but we're getting awefully close to the border of the Eastern Region," Aquilamon countered.

            "They're going down now," Nefertimon spoke up as the two figures in the distance began to drop down towards a lake.

            "Hey, isn't that Digitamamon's place?" Yolei asked as they saw the building in the distance.

            "It is," Nefertimon agreed.  "I wonder how TK knows about this place?"

            They set down next to Angemon, TK, Ken and the reverted Wormmon.

            "I'm telling you, it's not a stamina problem," Wormmon yelled at the grinning Angemon.

            "Sure, sure, I believe you old friend.  Whatever you say."  TK and Ken were desperately trying to hold back their laughter as Wormmon fumed.

            "Are you bad people picking on that poor little creature?" Kari chastised as she hoped down from Nefertimon, right into TK's arms.  TK silenced anything else she was going to say with a deep and lengthy kiss.

            "Oh, that was nice," she cooed as they broke apart.

            "Alright, if all the mammals in the area can just place their hormones on the back burner, some of us want to eat," Wormmon grumbled.  TK laughed and led them into the diner.  Digitamamon stood at his usual place behind the counter, his body hidden by his egg-like shell.  Only his yellow eyes and green legs came outside, yet somehow he was the best cook in the digital world.

            "Hello, hello!" he cried as they entered.  "Welcome to Digitamamon's, what can I…oh it's you kids again.  What can I do for you this time," he groused.

            "They're with me," TK spoke up.

            "TK?  Hey!  I haven't seen you in years!  How are you?  Still fighting the good fight and all?"

            "Yup.  Just thought I'd drop in for some breakfast before heading out to keep fighting."

            "Great!  Grab a table, all of you!  Whatever you want, on the house!"  Yolei stared in a slack-jawed stupor at the sudden and total change in the normally shifty and unyielding digimon.  Digitamamon took their orders and headed back to the kitchen, humming to himself the whole time.

            "What did you do to him?" Yolei finally asked.

            "What do you mean?" TK asked, taking a sip of water.

            "Digitamamon!  I mean, he's never that nice to anyone.  And the food on the house?"

            "Oh, that.  I saved his bacon a few years ago," TK shrugged.  "He was in a bad scrap and I happened to be in the area, so I helped him out.  He told me after words that he was grateful and that I was always welcome in his diner."

            "And that he'd never have to pay a dime here," the digimon finished as it emerged from the kitchen with a steaming tray of food.  "Here you go, kids, eat up!"  The destined and their digimon quickly attacked their food, eating with gusto.

            "Hey, TK, I saw Ryo a few days ago," Digitamamon mentioned as he cleared dishes from the table.

            "Really?" TK answered.

            "Yeah, he and that massive fright show of his came through here a few days ago.  He said he was on his way to File Island to talk to Leomon and visit Primary Village after seeing some old friends," the egg replied as he walked towards the kitchen with the plates.

            "So who's Ryo?" Kari asked as they stood.

            "Hmm?  Oh, just a friend," TK replied.  "But I haven't seen him in a while."

            "Well, why don't you head over to see him?" Yolei suggested as they walked out of the diner.

            "I thought we had to patrol the digital world?" TK asked.

            "There are four of us," Yolei pointed out.  "And File Island is part of the digital world."

            "Besides, I'd like to meet some of your other friends," Kari added, wrapping her arms around TK's waist.

            "I don't think that would be a good idea," Ken spoke up.  "Ryo tends to like his privacy."

            "You know him too?" Yolei wondered.

            "We worked together for a while," TK replied.  "Actually, I think I want to patrol with Ken for a while, alright Love?"

            "We need to get caught up a bit," Ken agreed.  "Why don't we meet you two later at the Yokomon village in sector 4F?"

            "Where's sector 4F?" Yolei asked, slightly confused.  Ken floundered for a second before TK stepped in.

            "It's right here," he answered, pulling out his D-terminal and pointing to a spot on a map of the digital world.

            "Alright," Yolei replied slowly.  "If you two are sure."

            "It's not a problem," Kari smiled, pulling Yolei away from them.  "Shall we meet up in, say, three hours?"

            "Plenty of time," TK grinned, then turned to Ken.  "Alright, let's get going."  Ken nodded and Wormmon digivolved into Stingmon once more.  The two took off and several seconds later, Kari turned to Yolei.

            "Power up Halsemon and let's follow them," she whispered quickly.

            "You want to spy on them?" Yolei wondered, amazed.

            "Aren't you in the least bit curious about their past?" Kari demanded.

            "Hawkmon?"

            "While I normally detest such subterfuge, it does seem the most prudent course of action, in light of Ken's reluctance to talk about his past," the bird shrugged.

            "I'm a cat, I have no problems at all with sneaking," Gatomon shrugged.  "But why Halsemon?"

            "Armor up and I'll explain," Kari replied.

            "Alrighty, Hawkmon, let's go to work.  Digiarmor energize!"

            "Hawkmon armor-digivolve to Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"

            Kari, Yolei and Gatomon quickly climbed onto Halsemon's back and he shot into the air, staying far enough back as to avoid detection.

            "Aquilamon would have been too slow," Kari explained as they soared through the air.  "I've seen Angemon maneuver before and he doesn't need the things that Aquilamon does like updrafts or room to maneuver.  And we've all seen how agile Stingmon can be in the air.  And Nefertimon and Angewoman would have been out of the question because angels can sense other angels."

            "Angemon would have realized that I was following him, and he would have told TK," Gatomon translated.  "But why are we following them at all?  I thought TK and Ken were our friends?"

            "They are," Kari sighed.  "But he's keeping secrets from me.  He never used to do that when we were little.  Even when we were writing right after he and his mom had to move, we never kept secrets.  But now he is, and that worries me."

            "He and Ken do seem to have some kind of history," Yolei agreed.  "I want to respect Ken's need for privacy, but he's got to learn to talk to me."  Gatomon simply nodded and the rest of the flight was done in reflective silence.


	8. chapter 7

            Chapter 7

            "They're landing," Halsemon spoke up, nearly half-an-hour later.

            "We're over the Kilo Dessert," Gatomon observed.

            "Isn't this where that wreak is?" Yolei pointed out.

            "The one that Ken's reluctant to go near," Halsemon agreed as they came nearer.  "They're landing just outside the wreak."

            "Let's set down now," Kari suggested.  "The sand dunes go right up to that ruin, so maybe they can hide us enough."  Yolei nodded and Halsemon landed and digivolved down to Hawkmon.  The four quickly and quietly made their way across the sand and finally stopped at the top of a dune right next to where TK and Ken had landed.  Kari crawled forward and stopped at the edge of the dune.  Below them, six figures stood, facing two stone blocks buried in the sand.  She motioned for the others to join her, but to remain quiet.

            "Who's that?" Yolei whispered into Kari's ear, pointing at the third human.  He was about as tall as TK, but not as thin.  His brown hair was very light and he seemed well muscled.  He wore tan pants that seemed to be leather a black t-shirt and black hiking boots.  A black duster lay on the ground next to him.  His right arm was covered in some kind of metal sheath from his elbow to his wrist.  He had black half-gloves on and sunglasses.  His back was to them, looking at the stones, which Kari suddenly realized with a sickening feeling, were tombstones.

            "I'm not sure," she whispered back.

            "I'm more worried about that," Gatomon whispered, pointing at the new digimon.  It was enormous, nearly ten feet tall.  Its skin was metallic and black with clawed fingers and spikes coming out of its elbows.  The top part of its head was hidden beneath a metal covering, but its mouth was clear and lined with a lot of teeth.  Four red, tattered wings came out of its back, two shorter ones on the top and two larger ones below.  It simply crouched near the unknown human, occasionally growling or flecking its hands.

            "It is rather hideous, isn't it?" Hawkmon whispered.

            "And very powerful," Kari added, staring hard at it.  There was something familiar about it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.  "It looks like it's an Ultimate."

            "How did you know I'd be here?" the unknown human finally spoke.

            "We stopped by Digitamamon's for breakfast, and he mentioned seeing you," TK replied, never taking his eyes off the stones.

            "He mentioned you were heading to File Island after visiting some old friends," Ken added.  "That made it fairly simple."

            "And what gives you the right to even be back in the digital world?" he demanded.

            "I don't expect you to forgive me," Ken replied, hanging his head in shame.

            "Good, because I don't plan on it," the stranger replied, venom dripping from his tone.

            "Ryo," TK broke in.  "Give it a rest.  You know as well as I do what happened couldn't have been prevented."

            "The hell it couldn't!" Ryo roared, turning to face TK.  "If any of you morons had been doing your jobs as Chosen, then he would never have gone off the deep end like that and this wouldn't have happened!" he spat, gesturing at the pair of headstones.  "I blame you and the rest of the damned Chosen as much as I blame him, TK!"

            "You blame me?" TK asked, his voice cold and hard as steel.

            "Not you," Ryo muttered, dropping his head.  "Never you."  The three remained silent for several minutes before Ryo finally spoke again.

            "So how have you been, Kenny boy?"  A smile twitched on Ken's lips.

            "I asked you to stop calling me that," he protested.

            "Don't sass your elders, boy," Ryo countered.  "Seriously, as much as I may blame you for this, you're still that scared little boy I ran across all those years ago in the forest."

            "I'm better," Ken replied.  "The doctors stopped my medication a year ago.  They said that there's nothing more that medicine can do for me.  I kept in touch with Willis for a while, but we haven't spoken in a couple months."

            "He's been busy building new toys," Ryo grinned.  "We should get him back in here at some point.  Gather the old gang back."

            "Not everyone would come," TK replied quietly.

            "Kat and you broke up, huh?"

            "A few years ago.  After I found out that she was cheating on me."

            "Ouch."

            "Yeah, well, I'm back in Odaiba again."

            "You, Kenny?"

            "My parents and I moved to Odaiba two years ago, shortly after the three new kids got called.  I'm dating one of them.  Her name's Yolei and she's got a temper to match her beauty."

            "Biased," Ryo grinned.

            "TK?  Anyone special?"

            "My Angel," he grinned.

            "You and Kari finally got together?  Congratulations, bro.  When?"

            "Last night," Angemon grinned from where he was leaning against part of the ruin.

            "Bro, you work fast," Ryo laughed.

            "How about you, bro?" TK grinned.  "How's the exploration coming?"

            "Not too bad.  The first computer's kind of hard to figure out at first, but with time you get the hang of it."

            "No thanks," TK grinned.  "I've got enough trouble in this world, I don't need to start dimension hopping.  Thanks, though.  You found anyone?"

            "There's this girl in one of the dimensions I ran across," Ryo admitted with a grin.  "It's a hoot, you guys are a TV show there.  The adventures are fairly close, for a kids cartoon."  TK and Ken laughed at that.

            "So, is this Davis as much of a jerk as their show makes him out to be?"

            "I don't like him," TK admitted.  "He's too immature to be leading the new kids.  I'm just grateful that Ken's keeping an eye on them.  Otherwise I'd be worried."

            "Davis just managed to land the easy job," Ken sighed.  "We all had to kill and fight to stay alive at a young age and almost the second we were dropped into the digital world.  Davis, Cody and Yolei were chosen to help guard as the originals grew older and had more responsibilities, but there hasn't been too much trouble since, well…"

            "You," Ryo finished.  "Yeah, I know.  But I've been hearing things that I don't like."

            "The new Emperor," TK nodded.  "I grilled Kari about it as much as I could without her getting suspicious, but they don't seem to know too much."

            "Whoever it is has some new digimon," Ken picked up.

            "Mummymon and Arukenimon," Ryo agreed.  "I've seen them in action.  Powerful, but fairly incompetent.  Cyberdramon could make them into data particles in a few seconds.  So could Grand Kuwagamon, for that matter," he turned to Ken.

            "I can't digivolve past Stingmon," Wormmon spoke up, sadness trickling into his voice.  "I haven't had the battle experience since I was reborn to be able to digivolve even to Ultimate.  It's really frustrating, knowing what's right there waiting for me, if only something kind of dangerous would come along."

            "Also if you could kill it without the others coming after us," Ken replied.

            "Well, yeah, there is that," he admitted.

            "Reluctant to kill?" Ryo asked, slightly startled.

            "Kari's ready to if need be, but I don't think the others are there yet.  They've had it too easy," TK sighed.  "Oh well, at least Matt and the other six can come give us a hand if we need it."

            "I just might come back with you," Ryo grinned.  "I haven't seen Tai or Sora for a while.  I wonder if that offer for dinner is still open?"

            "Dude, that was years ago," TK laughed.  "Besides, she's dating Matt, fairly seriously I might add."

            "And you'd have to take your brother's side I guess," Ryo sighed.  "Ah, the pleasures of being a single orphan.  The girls fall all over that in sympathy."

            "And how many girls have you run into in the digital world?" TK laughed.

            "It's the principle of the thing," Ryo huffed.  "But seriously, we need to find this new guy.  I don't want that to ever happen again."  He gestured at the stones and the three were silent for a moment.

            "Let's start gathering the troops," Ken finally spoke up.  "TK and I can work with the original Chosen and maybe bring the new guys in."

            "I'll contact Willis and 'Tasha," Ryo agreed.  "Willis has stayed in touch with everyone, so we can gather and make plans.  Um, we do have a plan, right?"

            "We find him, we break hi in half, we leave," TK shrugged, crouching over the first grave.  "She was the first Chosen to die in battle, I want to make damn sure that she's the last."  TK leaned forward and gently kissed the name carved into the stone.

            "Amen," Ken and Ryo echoed.  TK rose, Ryo grabbed his duster and the three started for the ruins, their digimon following.

            "So how's the arm?" Ken asked as they went.

            "It's healing," Ryo replied.  "I don't really need the cast anymore, but Babamon was quite firm in how long I should have it on.  And I am NOT disappointing that woman."

            "She'd kick the crap out of you, literally" TK laughed as their voices began to dwindle.

            Kari and the others remained where they were for several more minutes until they finally stood.

            "That was interesting," Hawkmon muttered.

            "So that's the Legendary Tamer, huh?" Gatomon commented.

            "Who?" Yolei asked, confused.

            "Ryo Akiyama, the Legendary Tamer," Gatomon replied.  "He's a wandering human.  He just wanders around the digital world with that massive behemoth of his and fights evil digimon.  Agumon mentioned him once or twice, but never went into much detail about it.  Apparently he was the one who finally defeated Millenniummon."

            "Millenniummon?" Yolei asked, slightly lost.

            "It was a massive, destructive digimon that was prophesized to live for one thousand years and then bring about the destruction of the digital world through its rage," Kari replied absently, staring at the doorway in the ruin where the six had entered.  "TK seemed to know him pretty well, and he mentioned Tai, but I know that I've never seen him before."

            "Maybe they worked together before you joined the group," Hawkmon suggested.

            "But why haven't any of the others mentioned him before?" Kari wondered.  "And why didn't he help us fight the dark masters when we returned and I was with them?"

            "All valid questions, but might I suggest that we ponder them whilst on patrol?" Hawkmon replied.  "It is getting close to the time we said we would meet, and I for one would like to get a bit of patrolling done before we are to meet TK and Ken."  Kari nodded and the four set out to get a bit of a distance between themselves and the ruin before Gatomon and Hawkmon digivolved.

            "I wonder what they were talking about at the beginning,." Yolei spoke up after a few minutes.  "Something about Ken needing to be forgiven?"

            "I know, it seems weird," Kari replied.  "Gatomon?  What is it, you've been awfully quiet."

            "I was just wondering about those graves," Gatomon admitted.  "I've never heard of a Chosen or a digidestined dying in the digital world.  It just got me to thinking and worrying."

            "Ken was involved in her death, somehow," Yolei admitted what none of them really wanted to think.  "That's what that Ryo guy was yelling at him about at first."

            "But TK doesn't' seem to blame him," Kari ventured.

            "TK's very forgiving," Gatomon pointed out.  "Besides, from what little I know of him, Ryo lives alone here in the digital world, traveling around.  Maybe TK just had more time to see Ken change or work to atone for whatever happened?"

            "Maybe," Yolei replied, but she seemed dubious.

            "Ryo seemed angrier at himself," Hawkmon spoke up.  "He seemed to blame himself for whatever it was that Ken did."  The group remained silent for a while longer.


	9. chapter 8

            Chapter 8

            "At least most everything is still here," Ryo commented as the three humans and their partners milled about the ruined interior of the massive wreck.  Parts of walls were missing, the floor was scattered with ruble and debris, while several charred silhouettes against the main hull showed the gruesome way that many digimon had apparently meet their end.  Ken shuddered and looked away from the grizzly displays.

            "Who ever decided to fill your shoes didn't use anything from here," Ryo continued.

            "I'm not so sure," TK replied, crouching over a piece of equipment and lightly brushing his fingers over the surface.  "There's no dust."  He held up his fingertips, totally devoid of dust or grim of any kind.

            "Squatters?" Ryo wondered, glancing at Cyberdramon.  The massive behemoth shook his head.

            "There's nobody here," he growled, his voice low and metallic.  His jaws snapped together, his entire body rumbling slightly as he snorted.  "Someone's been here, though.  Their scent's not too far gone.  No one I recognize, though.  He wasn't alone.  He had a pair of digimon with him, I'd say Ultimates, both of them.  I don't really recognize them, though."

            "Arukenimon and Mummymon, probably," TK ventured, pushing himself back up into a standing position.  "Kari mentioned that they seem to serve this new pretender.  Keep those scents in mind.  We might want to hunt them down.  They can probably lead us to this would-be Emperor."

            "We should at least give the others a call first," Ken protested.

            "Probably," TK sighed.  "I just want to get this over with."

            "What's the matter?" Ryo asked, concerned.

            "I had a dream last night," TK admitted.  "It felt like when I was honing my powers."

            "You think it might be a vision of the future?" Ryo wondered.

            "Maybe," TK admitted, "but it couldn't have been.  Myotismon was in it, but he was different, somehow.  Stronger.  In command.  He was ruling the digital world, with all beings bowing to him."

            "What else," Ryo prompted.

            "Kari was by his side," TK answered, his voice quiet.  "She was his queen."

            "No wonder you woke up screaming," Angemon whistled.  "That'd make Tentomon's hair stand on end."

            "Tentomon doesn't have hair," Wormmon pointed out.

            "Thus the irony," Angemon sighed.  "Or at least, the irony I was TRYING for."  Without warning, TK's head shot up, his eyes alert and his ears perking slightly.

            "What is it?" Ryo demanded, standing.

            "Something's wrong," TK replied, tersely.  "There was a massive surge for a second, and then it vanished.  I think Kari's in trouble.  We need to get out there, get away from the darkness in here so I can focus better."  The others nodded and followed TK outside.  There, he closed his eyes and let his mind race outwards, something that was all too familiar to the others.

            "Well?" Ryo finally demanded.

            "She's under attack," TK replied, anger seeping into his voice.  "Let's move."

            The others didn't stop to question their friend, know all too well the bond he shared with the child of light.  If TK thought she was in trouble, she was.  There was no uncertainty about it.  The three broke into a run as they headed toward the battle they knew was happening.  All of a sudden, TK stumbled, clutching his head.

            "She's been hurt," he growled.  "Angemon!  We need to get there now!"  The angel nodded once and swooped down, plucking TK from the ground and shooting off.  Cyberdramon grabbed Ryo and Ken, while Wormmon remained in Ken's arms.  They made good time, and quickly reached a large sand dune overlooking the battlefield.  Beneath them, the battle was decidedly one-sided.  Kari, Yolei, Angewoman, and a green-clad ninja with leaves for a cap and slinky's for arms and legs and a massive four-point shurken on his back fought in the center of a circle of massive, dark grey-skinned dinosaurs, similar to T-Rexes, their arms and legs covered in various red slashes.

            "Master Tyranomon," Angemon replied.  "Ultimate level, dinosaur digimon.  Pretty fierce one-on-one.  Five-to-one is just ridiculous.  They can be fairly territorial, but I don't know why twenty of them would suddenly attack a pair of Chosen."

            "My guess would be them," Ken replied, pointing at a pair of humanoid shapes on a far dune, watching the fight bellow them.  One was a woman with long, white hair in a red dress and hat, sunglasses covering her eyes.  Next to her stood a tall man in a blue overcoat and top hat, leaning on a walking stick.  "Arukenimon and Mummymon," Ken identified.  "These are their humanoid forms."

            Ryo glanced up at Cyberdramon, a curious look in his eyes.  The enormous cyborg shook its head.  "I can't smell them from over here," he growled.  "I can tell they're strong though.  Let me fight them," he demanded to Ryo.  Ryo shook his head in response.

            "Our first priority should be protecting Kari and Yolei," he chastised.

            "Fine," Cyberdramon sighed.  "I'll fly down and protect the females.  After I crunch all the Master Tyranomon, then can I fight them?"

            "They hurt her," TK growled, looking down at Kari, lying in Yolei's arms as she tried to cover a nasty gash on her arm.  Angewoman and the unknown digimon moved around the haphazard circle, fighting off any Master Tyranomon that got to be too bold and tried to continue attacking.  "Ken, that's definitely Arukenimon and Mummymon?"  Ken nodded.  "Fine.  Ryo, let's send a message to our would-be Emperor.  Wormmon, go Stingmon and head down there.  Try and clear a path that they can use to get out.  Ken, go with him and help Kari.  Make sure that they get out of the way.  Ryo?  Flanking maneuver.  I'll bring Magna Angemon down on their Eastern flank, by the ugly pair, you take their Western flank."

            "Basic pincer maneuver?" Ryo wondered.

            "Not quite," TK grinned, viciously.  "After Ken gets the ladies out of the way, we implement Leomon's first rule of war."

            "Overwhelming force is always an option," Ryo quoted, grinning.  "Let's do it."

            The Master Tyranomon were beginning to gear up for another attack as Stingmon shot through them, punching left and right to clear a path through the hoard.  Ken dropped down from Stingmon's shoulder next to Yolei.

            "Ken!  Am I glad to see you," she smiled.  Her smile quickly faded, however, as she gestured down to the injured Kari.  "She's hurt, we need to get her out of here."

            "Already taken care of," Ken replied, just as a massive roar echoed through the dessert.  Yolei looked up in awe as Cyberdramon shot down into the mass of Master Tyranomon, slashing left and right, tossing them to the side, but not actually harming them.  On the other side, Magna Angemon floated down, his very presence pushing back the hoard of digimon.  "We need to get out of here," Ken continued, helping Kari to her feet.  Only now, there were more.  More Master Tyranomon came up out of the sand to join those already in the battle.  Soon, they numbered close to forty and Cyberdramon and Magna Angemon were beginning overwhelmed.  Stingmon, Angewoman, and Shurimon had joined in the fight in short order, but even then, things were beginning to get tight.

            "So, are you little brats enjoying the entertainment we worked up for you?"  Mummymon laughed as TK shot him a lethal glare.

            "We figured there would be more of you little pests besides just the Light child and her companion," Arukenimon smirked.  "So I thought I'd bring along some extra friends to make sure that the odds are entirely in our favor.  It's going to be such a nice extra, though, killing Hope and Light in the same moment.  Something for the history books, I suppose.  The Digimon Emperor will be pleased that you're not going to be a thorn in his side for much longer."

            "Ryo!" TK called.  "Plan B!"

            "We had a plan A?"

            "The old plan B!"

            "Oh, that plan!  Why didn't you just say so?  Cyberdramon!  Bio-merge activate!"

            "Magna Angemon, let's go!  Bio-merge activate!"

            Magna Angemon flew back to TK and a yellow glow encased the pair.  They both began to break into bits of data that began to merge together in a field of red light.  In a brilliant explosion of light, the field flew apart, revealing a new humanoid angelic-digimon.  He stood nearly seven feet tall, covered in blue and white armor with yellow markings covering it.  A full helmet covered his head, allowing no flesh to show.  A white cross was embedded in the center of the helmet, by where the eyes should have been.  Ten massive golden wings from his back held him aloft, and in the center of his chest armor glowed the Crest of Hope.

            "Seraphimon."

            Cyberdramon flew back to Ryo and a deep blue glow encased them.  They also turned into bits of data and merged together in a flash of light.  The digimon that emerged was also humanoid, slightly over six feet tall.  He was clad in a cybernetic white and blue jumpsuit, with a flowing red scarf wrapped around his neck.  His head was fully covered by a metal helmet, but this one was made of smooth metal.  His right arm was fully cybernetic, and small whirring sounds came from it as he moved it.

            "Justimon."

            "What the hell?" Mummymon screamed.  "Where did these guys come from?"

            Seraphimon looked down on the massed Master Tyranomon for a moment and then his image flickered and vanished, only to reappear a moment later, facing one of the digimon.  Before anyone could even react, he simply raised his hand and placed it on the massive dinosaur's chest.  In a brilliant flash of light, the Master Tyranomon was reduced to free-floating bits of data.  Justimon's cybernetic arm whirred and altered form, transforming into a blaster.  He then casually fired a shot through the nearest Master Tyranomon, reducing it to data.  He and Seraphimon then began to fire at will.  Within seconds, the entire hoard of Master Tyranomon were deleted, leaving behind only a mass of floating data particles.  Arukenimon and Mummymon stared in horror at the slaughter beneath them, then turned and ran.  


	10. chapter 9

Chapter 9

            Seraphimon watched them run for a moment, and then focused his attention on Kari.  He gently floated over to her, setting down and crouching by her arm.  He lifted it slightly and placed his hand on the gash.  Kari winced for a moment, then a bright, yellow glow covered her arm for a moment.  When he removed his hand, the wound was healed, not even a scar remaining.

            "TK?" she asked, as she stood.  "Is that you?"

            "Not quite," he replied, his voice oddly metallic and echoing.  "I am Seraphimon, a mega-level angelic digimon."

            "But TK is in there, somewhere, right?" Kari asked, running her hand down his chest-plate.

            "In a manner of speaking," Justimon replied, moving to join them.  His arm had reverted to a normal look, the blaster having receded.  "We are both digimon, but we are a fusion of our human and digimon forms.  We have the power of our mega forms, with the intellect and knowledge of our human forms."

            Before they could say anything more, an x shaped blast of energy struck Seraphimon in the back.  Justimon whirled to face the direction that the blast had come from, his arm reforming into a blaster again.  Seraphimon stumbled for a moment and then launched into the air, energy forming around his hands as he prepared to defend himself and his friends.

            "Wait!" Kari cried as a large, blue humanoid dragon crested the hill at a run, with Davis close on his heels.  Behind him were Cody, riding on top of a massive digimon that very closely resembled a dinosaur called an ankylosaurous, and the rest of the older Chosen.  "TK wait, that's Veemon's Champion form, Exveemon!"  Seraphimon paused at her words, but Exveemon didn't.  Using his large bat-like wings to launch himself into the air, he tackled Seraphimon, sending them both plummeting to the ground.

            "Kari, we're here!" Tai called as he rushed forward, trying to grab her into a hug.  Kari slipped underneath Tai's arms and rushed to Davis.

            "Davis, call Exveemon back!" she cried.  "That's TK you're attacking!"

            Tai and the others looked at her as if she had just gone nuts.

            "Kari, that's a digimon," Tai replied, as if explaining things to a child.  "That can't be TK."

            "It is!" Ken replied, joining them.  "He and Angemon know a technique that allows them to merge into a single, powerful digimon.  Davis, call ExVeemon back, before TK has to defend himself!"

            "What are you guys so worried about," Davis grinned.  "It's not like ExVeemon can loose to that overgrown suit of armor."

            "Matt, is that Angemon?" Gururumon growled to his partner, sitting astride his back with Sora.

            "I guess so, buddy," Matt replied, shielding his eyes from the sun as he tried to watch as Seraphimon nimbly dodged ExVeemon's attacks.

            "He's sure powerful," Greymon growled from Tai's side.  "I agree with Kari, Davis.  Call ExVeemon back before he gets hurt."

            "That's enough!" Davis cried.  "I am so sick of hearing about TK and how great a Chosen he is!  He's not that tough and I'm going to fucking prove it!  ExVeemon, take him out!"

            "Davis, don't be an idiot!" Ken cried.  "Seraphimon is a mega level digimon!  ExVeemon doesn't stand a chance against him!"  And a moment later, Ken was proven right.

            ExVeemon crashed into the burning desert sand quickly followed by Seraphimon landing just beyond his reach.

            "A piece of advice," Seraphimon growled.  "Stay down.  We both know that I can turn you into data in a second.  Don't give me a reason to."

            "Davis says I can beat you, so I'm going to," ExVeemon growled, struggling to get up.

            "Look, I've had a bad day," Seraphimon sighed, relaxing out of his fighting stance.           "If you want to fight, go find someone else.  I'm done here."  With that, Seraphimon dissolved into a field of data that moved apart and reformed into Angemon and TK.

            "Justimon, take off," TK called.  "Get in touch with the others and contact me when you get a meeting set up."  The cyborg digimon nodded and flew off, leaving TK to face the combined forces of his friends.

            "Bio-merge, huh?" Tai asked, leaning against a chain-link fence in the park, where they had moved to after leaving the digital world.

            "Yep," TK nodded, remaining fairly silent, simply holding Patamon in his lap.

            "So are you going to say anything?" Cody demanded.

            "What do you want me to say?" TK asked.

            "Let's start with the part where you just vaporized those digimon," Davis growled.  "Who gave you the right to start killing digimon?"

            "Azulongmon," TK shrugged.

            "Who?" Izzy wondered, sitting next to Mimi on a bench.

            "Azulongmon," TK repeated, looking up.  "Don't tell me, you don't know who that is, right?"  After a few confirming nods and scowls, he continued.  "Azulongmon is one of the Four Guardians of the digital world.  He protects and guides the Eastern Hemisphere of the Digital world from danger and evil.  He's the one who chose us to become Chosen."

            "And why haven't we ever met this guy?" Joe wondered.  "I mean, where was he when we were fighting the Dark Masters?"

            "Trapped," TK shrugged.  "Piedmon and the others sacrificed a lot of their power to seal away the Guardians when they began to take over the digital world."

            "So, they weren't even at their full power when we faced them?" Mimi wondered.

            "Nah, they'd gotten back to full power by the point where we faced them," TK shrugged.  "That's why they didn't just come and annihilate us when we first showed up in the digital world.  They were too weak from sealing the Guardians."

            "Fine, when did Azulongmon give you permission to start killing random Digimon?" Cody demanded.

            "They attacked us first," TK defended.

            "So what?" Davis demanded, leaping to his feet and pacing around the park.  "We've never killed digimon before!  What makes you think that I'm going to let you stay in this group?"

            "Who the hell made you God?" TK retorted, standing.  "Let's get some things strait, huh?  First, you can't throw me out.  This isn't some damned club where you can kick out people you don't like!  We work to preserve the balance of power in the digital world.  Second, I don't answer to you, I answer to Tai!  He's my leader, not you!"

            "Listen you little," Davis growled, reaching for TK's shirt.

            "STOP!"  Both froze as Tai pushed off of the fence and moved in between them.  "TK, Davis, both of you back off."

            "Immature idiot," TK muttered, moving back to the bench he had been sitting on before.

            "TK, calm down for a second and tell us how you met this Azulongmon," Tai ordered.  TK fidgeted in his seat for a moment before sighing and shacking his head.

            "I can't, Tai."

            "TK…"

            "No, it's not my place to tell.  I'm keeping secrets from you guys, yes, but they aren't my secrets to tell."

            "What, now it's alright to hide things from other chosen?" Cody demanded.  "Maybe he's lying."

            "That's enough!" Ken yelled before anyone else could say anything.  "Tell them, TK," he whispered, his fists clenched.

            "Ken…"

            "I said, go ahead and tell them!  I'm not going to be responsible for anymore friction between you and your friends."

            "Ken, my friends and I are getting along fine, it's Cody and Davis who want my head right now," TK countered, standing and moving over to place a hand on Ken's shoulder.  "Look, they want me out, and I'm not taking you with me, alright?  I'll survive alright, but you need these friends right now."

            "No, I want you to tell them," Ken reiterated.

            "Well, then you have a problem, since I won't," TK countered, moving over to retrieve Patamon.  "Not like this, man."  He moved to leave, but stopped as Ken began speaking.

            "As you all know, my brother, Sam, was killed in a hit-and-run accident when I was very little.  A few days before he died, he and I were messing around on his computer, when a digivice came out of the screen.  He took it as his own and was planning on messing around with it the next day, but he died before he could do anything with it.  I got an email several days later that hinted that I was the one that the digivice was meant for.  I took it and traveled to the digital world, meeting Wormmon and a friend of mine, named Ryo Akiyama."

            "We know him," Tai nodded, his face darkening slightly.

            "Well, we moved about the digital world for a time and he taught me some of what he had learned in the digital world.  We ultimately ended up fighting a reincarnation of Millenniummon and succeeded in destroying him."

            "Ken, don't do this to yourself."

            "Be quiet, TK.  They have a right to know.   When Millenniummon died, however, he unleashed one final attack.  Trapped in his back were a number of small seeds called Dark Spores.  When Millenniummon deleted, the Dark Spores exploded out of his back.  One headed straight for Ryo, who was exhausted from the fight.  I managed to push him out of the way, but the Spore implanted itself in my neck.

            "The purpose of the Dark Spores was to unleash the hidden potential of a digimon and to make it smarter, faster, and stronger, but while heightening it's darker tendencies.  It worked the same way on a human being.  For a time I was a genius and the best athlete in Japan.  But I was also a bastard, mean to my parents, abusive to my partner, and disregarding of the feelings of others.  Finally, I decided that the digital world belonged to me, and me alone.  I dubbed myself the Digimon Emperor and set out to conquer what I saw as mine.

            "TK, Ryo, and a group of other Chosen assembled to try and stop me, and they ultimately succeeded, but only after I had already inflicted massive harm upon the digital world."

            The assembled Chosen remained silent for the moment, desperately trying to absorb what they had just heard.  Their thoughts became partially interrupted by the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement.  TK stood several feet away, on a basketball court, in front of the basket, dribbling a basketball.  He gently bent his legs at the knees and lifted off the ground, letting the ball go at the height of his jump.  It sailed across the court and dropped neatly through the basket.

            "You knew."  Kari's accusation was the first thing to break the silence.

            "Of course I knew, I was there," TK replied softly.  "Gennai came to me and wanted to assemble everyone together to fight off Ken when he began to make serious inroads into the digital world.  In my arrogance, I convinced him that I could handle it with some help from some other Chosen.  And all I really succeeded in doing was getting several Chosen badly wounded, and getting one killed."

            "TK, what happened to Dani wasn't your fault."  The group looked up at the new arrivals.  Ryo stood in the front, a large blue dinosaur-like digimon hulking over his shoulder.  Next to him stood a tall, blonde American.  He wore a pair of khaki-shorts and a white t-shirt under a Hawaiian shirt.  A small, bunny-like digimon clung to each of his legs, one green and white, one brown and white.  Next to him was a lanky redhead, dressed in black leather.  Standing next to her was a Guardromon, a machine digimon that looked like a steam-powered robot.  The final member of their group was a blonde haired woman, roughly the same age as everyone else, with piercing green eyes.  She was dressed in a black, min-skirt and a white tank-top that accentuated her curves, with a black leather bomber jacket over her shoulders and open-toed sandals.  Next to her stood a Floramon, a flower-like digimon, with blossoms for hands and feet.

            "'allo TK," she greeted, her eyes catching and holding TK's.

            "Kat," TK breathed, standing.


	11. chapter 10

Chapter 10

            "Well, why don't you introduce us to your friends, TK," Tai invited, gesturing to the four.

            "Right, introductions," TK muttered, shaking his head for a moment.  "Alright, Ryo you already know; the digimon with him is Strikemon, Cyberdramon's Champion form.  The blonde boy next to him is Willis.  The bunny's with him are his twins, Terriermon and Lopmon.  The redhead is Natasha, and her partner, Guardromon.  And, well…"

            "I am Catharine," the blonde girl supplied, stepping forward.  "It has been a long time, TK."

            "Yeah, it has, hasn't it," TK sighed, rubbing the back of his head.  "Can we talk?"  She nodded and the two moved over to the far side of the playground, away from the others.

            "Well, I'd love to be a fly over there right now," Ryo grinned, jumping up onto a swing.  "It's good to see you guys again."

            "Hey man," Matt grinned, coming over and giving Ryo a high-five.  "It's good to see you again."

            "You too, man," Ryo grinned, but it rapidly left his face and was replaced with a frown.  "Alright, we're here to talk to TK and Ken, but from what we heard, the rest of you just got brought in."

            "They deserved to know," Ken repeated.

            "We aren't saying that they didn't, Ken," Natasha replied.  "We are simply wondering if you want to bring them in all the way, or just tell them the basics."

            "I'd go with basics, if I were you," Willis supplied from his place on a bench.  "I don't really want to remember some of the shit we went through."

            "True," Ken sighed.  "Why did Kat come?"  The last was directed to Ryo, who shrugged.

            "Beats me.  She was at 'Tasha's when I got there to call this meeting, and she insisted on coming along.  Alex and Chris are off doing their own thing and you know how hard it is to find Kamon, Yong is still MIA, and Michael's dad just got out of the hospital from a stunt gone wrong, so I omitted him."

            "I didn't think that she ever wanted to talk to TK again," Ken sighed, shaking his head.

            "Do you blame her?" Willis wondered.

            "Does someone want to fill us in?" Kari wondered.  Ryo suddenly went pale, and glanced at Ken, who subtly shrugged.

            "Kat and TK used to be an item," Willis supplied.  "But they haven't talked too much since we got back from fighting the Emperor."

            "It's ahh, it's good to see you again," TK began, taking a seat on a park bench as Catharine leaned against a brick wall of an apartment building.

            "You as well, TK," she replied, her eyes never leaving his.

            "So, why did you come?" TK finally blurted out.  "I mean, we're through and all, why are you here?"

            "I was spending a week at Natasha's house when Ryo came and told us about this little council of war.  I am hurt that you did not tell me personally," she added.

            "I didn't think you wanted anything to do with the digital world anymore," TK confessed.

            "I don't," she agreed.  "What Danielle's death proved was that we humans have no place in that world.  Let the digimon take care of the digital world.  We have enough problems in our own."  Her face slowly formed into a mocking grin as she continued.  "Except of course for the great Takeru Takeshi.  After all, what is TK if not saving the world.  And you can't do that in this reality, so you continually go fight wars in the digital world, where things are simpler.  No matter who pays the price for your failure."

            "That's enough," TK growled.  "I am sorry for what happened to Dani, Kat, more than you know, but I refuse to wallow in guilt about it for the rest of my life.  I made the call that had to be made at the time, and I don't regret making it.  You'd still be just as mad if Ryo or Alex had made that call."

            "Oui, mon cher," she nodded, leaning down and kissing him on the cheek.  "But you are the one who let my sister die," she hissed in his ear, the only warning he had before she leaned back and slapped him hard across the cheek.  She then turned and began to walk away.  "Goodbye, TK," she called over her shoulder.  "I hope that we never meet again, and that you have better luck with this crusade that your last one; if only for the sake of your 'friends.'"

            "That's always been one hell of a woman," Willis sighed, shaking his head as the others watched as Catharine slapped TK and walked away.  "Nothing like Little Dani."

            "Yeah, I know," Ryo shook his head.  "One of these days, she's going to wake up to the fact that she wasn't the only one who lost someone special with Dani."

            "So who was this Dani?" Davis wondered, smirking and leaning back against the fence that had been Tai's spot earlier.

            "Danielle De'Beriass," Ryo sighed.  "She was Kat's twin sister.  Dani was younger by about a minute, but she and Kat were always so different.  Kat's always been a firebrand, ready to leap into things at the drop of a hat.  But Dani was a lot meeker, more willing to step back and observe, but much more active when she truly believed in something than Kat would ever be.  She was also fairly closed off most of the time that we knew her."

            "Kat tried protecting her in the digital world when we got called, but TK began to take up a lot of her time and pretty soon we all realized that she didn't really need any help.  She and her Floramon could talk in a way no one else could figure out, but she was the strongest of us after myself and TK for a long time."

            "How did she died?" Kari wondered, voicing the one question that all the Odiba Chosen had on their lips, but were afraid to voice.

            "She got crushed to death, when she got stepped on by a massive, evil digimon that the Emperor unknowingly unleashed," TK replied, solemn after his confrontation with Catharine.  "She was trying to stop it from killing a village full of Biyomons."

            "Alright, boss, what's the plan?" Willis spoke up.

            "Why is he the boss?" Davis wondered.  "He got one of your teammates squished."

            "Close your trap, boy," Ryo growled.  "TK gave the order to fall back when we were outnumbered twenty-to-one.  It was the right order.  Dani didn't listen.  She felt that she needed to hold back the Emperor's army long enough for the Biyomon to get away.  She did, but by the time they were out, most everyone had already pulled back.  She knew what she was doing the entire time."

            "Do not question TK's leadership," Natasha spoke up, some of the first words she had spoken since arriving.  "He is a good leader.  And we all follow him."

            "Damn right," Willis grinned.  "Now what's the plan?"  TK sighed, and his shoulders slumped for a moment, before he straightened up once more and looked around the assembled group.

            "We could really use all the help we can get," TK began, addressing the assembled Odiba Chosen.  "If you don't want to get involved, that's fine.  I won't hold it against you."

            "I'm in," Matt and Kari replied, simultaneously, quickly followed by Tai and Sora.

            "Of course I'm in," Ken replied.

            "I'm going where he's going," Yolei replied.

            "I'll do what I can," Izzy smiled, nodding.

            "I'll try and help, but I'm not sure how much help I can be," Mimi replied.

            "I've got exams in a few days, but after that, I'm with you," Joe smiled.

            "Nope," Davis replied.

            "No?" Tai wondered.

            "I don't trust him," Davis replied, pointing to TK.  "I don't think he's a competent leader, and I don't want to follow him.  If we happen to have overlapping goals, I'll work with him, but we've got our own mission at the moment.  Ken, Yolei, Kari, you guys are part of my team, remember?  I need you guys to help protect the rest of the digital world, like we were told to."

            "Davis!" Kari flared, but TK placed a restraining hand on her arm.

            "My loyalties are to TK first, Davis," Ken replied.  "I was a member of his group before I knew any of you.  I'm sorry."

            "I'm going where Ken's going," Yolei reiterated, latching onto his arm.  "I never agreed to blindly follow you before, Davis, I'm not about to now."

            "But you're willing to blindly follow him?" Davis growled.

            "I don't want anyone blindly following me," TK replied, still outwardly calm.  "And you don't realize that this is more important.  But, I'm not going to force you to follow me.  Cody?"  Cody hesitated, swinging back and forth between both sides, before sighing and hanging his head.

            "I'm going to have to agree with Davis on this one.  Let these Guardians deal with the Emperor if he's that big a threat."

            "Alright," TK nodded.  "Ken, Yolei, Kari, you guys are going to stick around with us, right?"

            "Of course."

            "Yep."

            "Like you could stop me."

            "Alright, Joe, Izzy, Mimi, Tai, Sora, Matt, I want you guys to stick around here, then.  Fill in with Davis's team when you can.  Davis is right, he's still got a mission."

            "I'm sorry, but if Kari and you are in this, than so am I," Tai replied, shaking his head.  "And I'm pretty sure that the rest of us agree."

            "So you're going to leave Davis and Cody on their own?" TK demanded.  "Tai, that's a shitty decision and we all know it.  Go with Davis for now, he's going to need your help more than I am."

            "I'm not going to let you and my sister face this thing alone!" Tai retorted, his voice rising slightly.

            "Remember Machinedramon?"  TK's question caught Tai by surprise.

            "Of course, why?"

            "Do you remember why we fought him when we did?"

            "We were trying to get medicine for Kari," Tai answered, still confused.  "TK, where the hell are you going with this?"

            "Do you remember having to make a decision like this before?"  Tai's eyelids narrowed dangerously as the extent of TK's argument hit home.

            "That's low, TK.  There's a difference between a command decision made during the heat of battle and one made during peace times."

            "Yes, but if you could make the smart decision then, when we had who-knew how many digimon after our hides, why can't you make it now, sitting in a playground in the middle of Odiba."  Tai and TK stared at each other for close to a minute before Tai hung his head.

            "Damn you, Takeshi," Tai murmured.

            "Too late," TK replied, holding out his hand.  Tai stood and took it, then turned to the assembled Chosen.

            "Alright gang, listen up.  We're going to play this TK's way for now.  Kari, Ken, Yolei, you guys go with TK and keep him on the straight and narrow.  The rest of us are going to keep doing what we've been doing.  Keeping the peace in the digital world.  But, if he needs us at all, TK's going to give us a call, and we'll come running."  The last was directed at TK, who grinned and nodded.

            "Right," nearly everyone chorused.  Davis simply nodded and Cody remained silent.

            "Nice group of friends you have, TK," Natasha commented, coming up behind him and kissing him on the cheek.  "It is good to see who influenced you so much.  It helps make you less of a mystery."

            "Where are you guys staying?" TK asked, trying to fight the blush that threatened to ruin his otherwise command like posture.  Ryo shrugged.

            "I sort of planned on going back to the digital world, and taking these guys back home," he shrugged.  "I imagine that Kat's already used the portals to go home, or at least back to 'Tasha's place."

            "Probably home," Natasha shrugged.  "There's not much at my place, and I imagine that Catharine was getting homesick."

            "That's alright, she shouldn't be involved in this," TK nodded.  "Alright, I've got room, so you seven get to be borders for the night.  Tomorrow, we'll meet at my place, and we'll try and track down the others."

            "One quick question, if I may," Willis ventured.  "How do you want to do this?  Ryo doesn't really live in this dimension any more, so no one will really miss him, and the same with 'Tasha and I, but what about you guys?  Hit and run didn't work last time, and there's nothing saying that it will this time."  TK sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

            "I honestly don't know.  It's going to depend, but we're probably going to have to hold back for a few months until we get out of school.  Then, we can attack in force."

            "Are you sure that that's a good idea?" Willis wondered.  "I mean, holding back like that could be fairly costly…"

            "I know, Willis," TK sighed.  "Unfortunately, I can't really think of anything else at the moment."


	12. chapter 11

Chapter 11

            The night had been a little cramped, but they had gotten through it alright, and now everyone had reconvened for another meeting at TK's.  Ryo and Natasha sat together on the couch, talking in low voices, while TK and Kari occupied the recliner and everyone else either stood around or sat on the floor.

            "Alright, we're all agreed that it would probably be a bad idea to wait too long before taking this guy out," TK began, receiving several confirming nods.  "Well, then I'm open to any other ideas, because a prolonged siege won't work.  Kari, Ken and I can't just drop off the face of the earth for a few weeks while we fight this guy."

            "Who says it'll take that long?" Ryo spoke up; he and Natasha apparently coming to an agreement on whatever they'd been talking about.  "First off, most of the time that we spent fighting the first emperor was spent getting more powerful, or launching sneak attacks because we couldn't just take him on head-to-head.  We don't exactly have that problem anymore.  All of us can become Megas through bio-merges, or at least Ultimates."

            "Except me," Wormmon grumbled.

            "We can even get you up high enough, I think," Ryo grinned.  The point is, unless this guy has raised one massive army of entirely Megas, which I don't think would be possible, we shouldn't have too much trouble."

            "Maybe," TK admitted.  "Unless he's managed to hide the bulk of his forces."

            "TK, I think that you are overlooking something," Natasha spoke up.  "We obviously need more information, so we must get it."

            "Well said," TK replied, sarcastically.  "Might I ask how?"

            "Azulongmon."  TK hesitated at her answer, his head lowering slightly as he answered.

            "I don't think that would be a good idea."

            "Why not?" Willis spoke up.  "The dragon's got to have a good idea of what's going on, why not just ask him?  Then we can make plans."        

            "He's not up to company, right now," TK replied, looking out the window.

            "Alright, for those of us who just got involved, huh?" Yolei spoke up.

            "Azulongmon is the guardian of the Eastern Sphere of the digital world," Willis replied.

            "We got that last night," Yolei replied.  "What I meant was, what are you guys talking about?"

            "TK and Kari are his avatars, of course, and they can communicate with him anywhere in this world or the digital one" Ryo replied, looking surprised.  "Didn't anyone tell you?"

            "No one thought to inform me," Kari replied, her voice like ice as her eyes bored into TK's back.

            "It works like this," TK sighed, looking back.  "The four Guardians each represent two aspects of the digital world.  Azulongmon represents Light and Hope, Baihumon represents Courage and Friendship, Zhuqiaomon represents Love and Sincerity, and Ebonwumon represents Knowledge and Reliability.  Each of them, at the beginning of the Dark Masters' rise to power, created two avatars, beings to do their will while they were imprisoned.  To ensure that they wouldn't be corrupted by the Dark Masters, each avatar was infused with a small bit of the Guardian's own power."

            "Why didn't you ever tell us this?" Kari demanded, not angry, per se, but more intrigued.

            "I only found out about it during our travels, fighting the original Emperor," TK replied, taking her hand and gently kissing the back of it.  "Afterwards, I didn't really talk to any of you guys until recently, and I didn't know how to tell you without also telling you about Ken."

            "TK, at the very least, this gives us a reason to visit Azulongmon," Willis pointed out.  "Kari's never met him and all."

            "Look, it's not going to happen," TK repeated.  "Azulongmon is at his temple right now, and none of the Guardians want the locations of their temples known to anyone."  TK rubbed his eyes and sighed.  "This is what we're going to do.  I'm going to take Kari to the temple.  We'll meet with Azulongmon, and find out how he wants this done.  You guys find Alex, Chris and Kamon and meet us in Primary Village.  Alright?"

            "I wanted to insult the lizard again," Willis moaned.

            "Shut it, little boy," TK grinned.  "You grunts dropped the joys of command on my shoulders, that means I get to make all the decisions.  We'll catch up with you in a few hours."

            "TK, this place is increadible!" Kari breathed as the pair stepped out of the portal into a large tropical jungle.  TK looked up from where he was adjusting the straps on his backpack and smiled.

            "I was a little preoccupied the first time I came here, so I didn't notice the scenery as much," he admitted.  "It is nice, though.  Azulongmon picked a nice place to build his temple."

            "Temple?"

            "Where would you live if you were one of the closest things the digimon have to a God?"

            "Point.  So, where is it?"

            "About three miles that way," TK pointed in a roughly northerly direction.  "He's kind of weak at the moment, so he prefers to remain hidden."

            "So do we walk or fly?"

            "I'd prefer to walk, if you don't mind.  Gives me some exercise for my leg, and we haven't had a chance to really talk recently."

            "No, we haven't," Kari softly agreed as they headed out, TK using an ornamental katana he had brought to cut his way through the underbrush.

            "I haven't meant to keep secrets from you," TK began, cutting straight to the point.  "I sure as hell haven't lied to you.  It's just, discussing my past; the time between when I was supposed to move back and now; it's not pleasant.  I'd have had to break my oath to Ken to keep his involvement a secret, and you know I couldn't do that."

            "No, you'd never betray someone like that," Kari agreed, whipping away the sheen of sweat that was beginning to collect on her brow.  "But, still, it's like I don't know you anymore.  There was a time when you and I told each other everything."

            "What do you want to know?" TK asked, stopping for a moment as they reached a clearing.  He set his backpack down and pulled out two bottles of water and passed one to Kari, who smiled in thanks.

            "I'm not sure," she replied after taking a gulp of water.  "That's part of the problem.  I know that you'll answer any questions I ask you, but I don't know what to ask.  And when I do find out something, everyone else finds out at the same time, so I only get the same answer they get."

            "So ask me," TK pleaded, gently taking her hands and pulling her into his embrace.  "I swear to you, Kari, that's all you have to do.  Just ask me and I'll tell you.  If I can't, I'll tell you when I can.  I promise you."

            "I love you."

            "I love you, too."  Their lips met for a brief kiss, quickly broken as TK smiled down at Kari.  "I really don't deserve you."

            "You're stuck with me."

            "Poor me," TK smiled.  "I'm getting kind of tired of walking, if you don't mind.  Angemon?  Can you give us a ride?"

            "Of course," the angel replied, gently lifting both of them and waiting for Gatomon to scramble into Kari's arms before taking off.  Their trip through the air took much less time than Kari thought it would have, and they soon descended into a large clearing in the jungle.

            "Alright, I just don't see it," Kari finally confessed, looking around.  "There's no temple here."

            "It's right there," TK replied, gently taking her by the shoulders and pointing her in an Easterly direction.  At first, there was nothing.  Then, as the rays of the sun sparkled, she saw it; a brief flicker of light up high, in the center of the clearing.  Then, with a kind of musical moan, the Temple of the Dragon shimmered and appeared.  It was massive, with a kind of pagoda style of architecture, colored in red, and black and blue in a strange contrast that came off as breathtaking.  The steps up to the doors were flanked on either side by large stone statues of a pair of serpentine dragons winding their way up to the door, which was surrounded by three statues, two of knights in armor, and one of a griffin over the door.

            "TK," Kari breathed in awe.  "It's beautiful."

            "You can tell him when we get there," TK replied, smiling.  "Come on, we need to get inside.  It's not safe for the temple to remain open like this."

            Kari followed him up the steps to the main doors of the temple.  TK stopped at the top step and motioned for Kari to wait as well.

            "I am Hope, avatar of the Dragon of the East," TK intoned, formally.  "Do you know and acknowledge me?"  The griffin statue suddenly stopped being a statue.  It swiveled it's beaked head towards them, piercing green eyes taking the four of them in.

            "Yessss," it finally rasped.  "And you partner.  But who are thesssse otherssss?"

            "They are Light, and the children of the Great Dragon," TK replied, not moving from his position on the topmost step.  The griffin seemed to consider it for a few moments, and then nodded.

            "They may enter."  TK bowed to the griffin and then motioned for Kari and Gatomon to follow him and Angemon inside as the massive, ornate doors groaned open.

            "Come on, let's get inside.  I don't want to give him a chance to change his mind."

            Kari followed TK down a long chamber lit with flickering torches.  She idly wondered about the irony of a world that existed entirely on the basis of human technology lighting their buildings with torches.  As they passed a doorway, it opened and a man in a brown robed walked out, right into her.

            "Oh, I'm so sorry," her apologized as he scrambled to his feet, reaching a hand out to help her up, but he froze upon seeing her face.  "Kari?"

            "Nice one, old man," TK laughed, gently pushing the man out of the way and helping Kari to her feet.  "It's good to see you again, though."

            Kari stared at the young man's face, trying desperately to place it, and suddenly her mind harkened back to her earliest memories of this world, and the kindly, forgetful old man who had been one of their few allies.

            "Gennai?"

            "I'm glad you remember me," he beamed, looking nothing at all like the Gennai she remembered.  This Gennai, and she knew without a doubt that it was Gennai, was young, nearly as old as Tai at the moment, with short brown hair and sparkling blue eyes.  He wore a harsh, brown robe and currently had his hood down.  He seemed spry and full of life, with an alertness behind his eyes that surprised her.

            "Give her a minute, she's still used to you as a forgetful old man," TK laughed.

            "Yeah, I can't say I was overly proud of that form," Gennai replied, scratching the back of his head.

            "It kept the Dark Master's guessing," TK supplied, hiding a chuckle.  "The great Gennai, a tottering old man."

            "Drop it, Takeshi," Gennai mock-growled.  "It's good to see you again, Kari.  Especially without cataracts blocking the view."

            "How…"

            "I've always looked this way," Gennai replied, smiling.  "I'm the high priest to Azulongmon, and a tottering old man isn't too good of a priest.  So, I've pretty much always been this way.  When the Dark Masters imprisoned the Guardians, the other three high priests and I agreed that we'd need to hide, so we allowed ourselves to age, significantly.  That way, even when the Dark Masters finally did find us, they didn't consider us a threat, so they left us alone."

            "Wow," Kari replied, unable to think of anything else.

            "I take it you're here to see Azulongmon?" Gennai wondered, changing track.

            "Yeah, I figured he'd want to meet his other avatar," TK shrugged.  "Plus, I need to talk to him about some things."

            "Well, he's in the main room right now, but he's in consultation with the other Guardians," Gennai replied motioning down the hallway, towards a massive set of double doors.

            "We might as well talk to all of them at once," TK muttered, straightening his shoulders and striding towards the doors.

            "I simply do not see why it is so much of a threat," an echoing voice boomed through the room as TK opened the left door and let himself, Kari, Gatomon, and Angemon into the massive chamber.

            "He represents a threat to all digimon," another voice replied, softer and more feminine.

            "This discussion can hold for a moment," a third voice, old and filled with wisdom cut in.  "We have visitors."

            Kari stared at the four Guardians of the Digital World in awe.  As if by some inner knowledge, she immediately knew each of them.  Azulongmon, the Dragon of the East, Baihumon, the Tiger of the West, Zhuqaimon, the Phoenix of the South, and Ebonwumon, the Tortoise of the North.  There forms glowed with a strange kind of pulsing energy that Kari quickly realized came form the twelve orbs that hovered around each Guardian.

            "Takeru," Azulongmon acknowledged.  "What brings you back to my temple?"

            "My lord," TK bowed, then kneeled.  "I have the honor to present to you your second avatar."

            "So this is the Angel of Light," Baihumon rumbled, grinning a toothy grin at her.

            "My lord."  Kari quickly copied TK's posture and bowed to the massive glowing dragon.

            "Well met, child," Azulongmon rumbled.  "It is nice to finally meet you.  I see that you still have the potential I gave you as a child."

            "Potential, lord?" Kari wondered, briefly wondering if it was proper to question a god.

            "It is fine," Azulongmon replied to her thought, grinning through his flowing white beard.  "And yes, I can sense your thoughts as you are one of my children."

            "Disconcerting, isn't it?" TK grinned.  "To answer your question, do you remember when we fought MachineDramon when we were young?"

            "Yes?"

            "Remember how you healed those Numamons?  How you made Agumon digivolve to WarGreymon?  Those were manifestations of your potential power as an avatar."

            "So, you and the others can do the same things?"

            "Not the same, since we all represent a different aspect of the digital world."

            "You are the Light of our world," Zhuqaimon spoke up.  "As of such, you are the most powerful of the avatars.  But, you are unable to defend yourself with your powers, so others must fight for you.  You are the guide and inspiration of the digimon, but not their warrior."

            "That's my job," TK picked up, gently taking her hand and giving it a loving squeeze.  "I'm here to guard you and to help keep you grounded, while you're out there inspiring the birth of a new digital world."

            "So, why can't you or the others use these powers?" Kari wondered.

            "You haven't been paying attention," TK chided, smilling.  "I can't use my powers except to protect you, or by extension myself.  The others are simply too old now to be able to access it."

            "My main weakness," Azulongmon rumbled in agreement.  "After a time, the power of the others returned to their respective Guardians, but you two had tapped your potential and kept the power."

            "But, that is not important right now," Ebonwumon rumbled, his voice echoing from his twin heads.  "I take it that you had another matter you wished to discuss with us?"

            "Merely an extension of your discussions, my lord," TK replied.  "I take it that by now you have discovered our new problem."

            "Whether or not it is, indeed a problem was the crux of our discussions," Baihumon rumbled.  "But, yes, we are aware of the new upstart who calls himself the Digimon Emperor.  Quite frankly, we would have thought that the new Chosen would have dealt with him by now."

            "They aren't suited to the task, my lord," TK replied, crossing his arms and frowning at the ground.  "Davis, Cody and Yolei haven't had to endure the rigors of the digital world like the rest of us did, and they're too used to the idea of leaving at night and coming back whenever to continue their work.  It's not entirely their fault, but I don't think Davis can get his mind around the idea that this is more than just a really neat video game."

            "I tend to agree with you," Baihumon nodded.  "Which lead to our discussions; if the Chosen cannot or will not stop him, should we become directly involved."

            "I don't think so," TK slowly replied, shaking his head.  "Whoever is behind this has another objective than simply taking over the digital world.  If he didn't, he'd have struck more directly than he is.  No, he wants you either distracted or contained.  I think he's going to do something that would cause the four of you to involve yourselves then.  He doesn't want you at full strength when he does whatever it is he's going to do.

            "I'd suggest hold back both yourselves and the Devas for now.  I've been in touch with Ryo, Willis, and Natasha.  They're getting in touch with the others now and we're going to hold a council of war at Primary Village today.  If needs be, we'll contact you for your aid, but I think we can handle it for now."

            "You seem hesitant, childe," Azulongmon observed.  "I have never seen you this unsure of a situation."

            "The other side isn't making sense," TK confessed.  "I've got a few theories about why, but I can't prove any of them just yet.  Basically, it's like the other side's forces have been getting conflicting orders.  Some of them are just out there harassing digimon, but others are out there preparing for war."

            "Do you suspect Daemon?"  The quiet question came from the fiery Zhuqaimon, who looked hesitant to receive the answer.

            "No," TK replied, immediately.  "This is far too subtle for Daemon's work.  I think that might be why there are conflicting orders.  Some of them might be coming from Daemon, but the others are coming from this mysterious new opponent."

            "I trust you to do what must be done, my avatar," Azulongmon rumbled.  "Take care, but stop this Emperor before he becomes too powerful."

            "Don't worry, we will," TK grinned.


	13. chapter 12

Chapter 12

            "TK, who is Daemon?"  Kari's question broke the peaceful silence that had reigned during most of their trip back through the jungle.  Angemon and Angewoman were airborne, scouting out ahead as TK and Kari hiked along underneath the cool shade of the jungle.

            "He's sort of the High Priest of the Devil," TK replied, taking a sip of water.  "He's a mega-level digimon with tremendous power and he commands thousands of followers.  I don't know what he looks like, because he usually wears a robe to hide his features, but he's got a giant pair of bat wings coming out of his back."

            "The Devil?"

            "Yep.  Well, a dark God would probably be a better term.  The creation myth of the digital world goes something like this.  In the beginning, there was nothingness, only the four great dragons.  Azulongmon, Magna Dramon, Goddramon, and Megidramon.  The four were lonely, having only themselves as company, and created the world.  They then began to argue over who would have command of the world, and it's inhabitants.  MagnaDramon and Goddramon wished to have no part of ruling, wishing only to revel in their love.  Azulongmon wished to rule from afar, allowing their children to grow as they would with little guidance.  Megidramon didn't trust their children and he wanted to rule them sternly.  The four argued over the matter for many years, ironically allowing Azulongmon to win through inaction.

            "However, Megidramon had been right, as he had seen that some of their children would seek to rise above their creators.  One of these was a horrible digimon named Ghoulmon.  He raised an army to his side and assaulted the Citadel where the Dragons argued.  The Dragons fought off the invasion, but Ghoulmon had become powerful during their inattention.  He fought MagnaDramon in single combat and felled her.  This so enraged her lover that Goddramon attacked Ghoulmon in a total rage, killing them both.  Megidramon had greatly loved his brother and flew into a rage at his death.  The remains of Ghoulmon's army were annihilated, but it wasn't enough to sate Megidramon's blood lust.  In the end, Azulongmon and Megidramon fought and Megidramon was destroyed.  Azulongmon then used the last of his power to ensure the birth of Four who would watch over the digital world and then died, only to be reborn moments later with Baihumon, Ebonwumon, and Zhuqaimon.

            "And so, the Four Guardians lead the digimon back from the brink of destruction and helped them rebuild.  But there were those left who had prospered under Ghoulmon, and sought to once more to bring about his rise.  Top most among those was a digimon known as Creepymon, a terrible, savage demon digimon.  However, one century after the death of Ghoulmon, Creepymon was overcome by euphoria, and he covered his horrific form with robes of silk and spoke no longer in grunts and howls, but with a voice of inspiration.  He raised a sect dedicated to a prophesy that foretold the rebirth of Ghoulmon and the death of the world."

            "Wow," Kari breathed.

            "Yeah, he's not to be trifled with," TK replied, climbing over a fallen tree trunk and offering Kari a helping hand.  "Hs power is enormous, even for a mega.  "I've…only ever seen him once, and it wasn't pleasant."

            "So, what happened to the other three dragons?"

            "Huh?"

            "MagnaDramon, Goddramon, and Megidramon.  All digimon are reborn, right?  Where they ever reborn, or what?"

            "The, ah, myth doesn't say," TK replied, his eyes not meeting hers.  "It all takes place before Primary Village was built, so I'd assume that they weren't reborn.  Besides, I'd assume that Megidramon would still be insane, and he's have the power of a God.  I'm not sure that I'd want him around."

            "Yeah, I guess that's true."  The pair continued to walk along in silence, until they came upon a clearing in the jungle.

            "This looks like a good place to rest," Kari smiled and started forward.

            TK suddenly leapt forward, grabbed her arm and dove back into the jungle overgrowth.

            "TK!  What's the big…"  TK clamped a hand down over her mouth and shushed her.

            "We aren't alone out here," he whispered.  "There was movement on the far side of that clearing, and it seemed familiar.  Besides, Angemon hasn't checked in yet."

            "Maybe he just lost track of us for a second, while he and Angewoman were flying," Kari replied, instinctively keeping her voice as soft as TK's.

            "No way.  Angemon always checks in with me every thirty minutes, no matter what.  At the least, he'd have contacted me telepathically and checked up on me."

            "You can talk to Angemon telepathically?"

            "We can all communicate with our partners that way.  It's how we used to fight battles.  I just figured it out sooner than the rest of you."

            "So what do you think is keeping them?"

            "Nothing," Angemon replied, quietly from behind them.  Neither TK or Kari made a sound at his sudden appearance.

            "What's over there?"

            "I don't know.  I can't sense them, but that doesn't mean too much."  TK nodded in agreement.

            "Can you think of anyway to draw them out?"

            "None," Angewoman replied from beside Angemon.  "They have the advantage right now, and I doubt that they're going to give themselves away with such a nice ambush planed."

            "I'm sure they're flyers with the group," Angemon added.

            "They've got us totally cut off, then," TK mussed.  "If we go back, they can circle around behind us and kill us; if we go forward, we go right into their ambush; and if we try and fly, they come at us from underneath."

           "So what do we do?" Kari asked.  TK felt a moment of pride that there wasn't the slightest hint of panic in her voice.  Apparently, the old battle instincts were still ingrained in her.

            "Leomon's fifth rule of combat," TK grinned.  "If you don't like the rules, make new ones."  He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.  "Ryo?  Kari and I are trapped in the Cybrosis Jungle, maybe three miles due west of the temple.  Is everyone there?  Then come on in."  TK grinned as he snapped the phone shut and leaned back against a tree.  "We're fine," he smiled.

            "I'm afraid I don't get it," Kari confessed.  "What did you do?"

            "Angewoman's right," TK replied.  "They aren't going to break their cover now, whoever they are.  We're simply going to wait them out.  If they know we're here, they might not wait as long, but if they're still in position in one hour, they're as good as dead."

            "One hour?"

            "That's about as long as it will take Ryo and the others to get here.  If our friends out there are still in place, Ryo and the others will come at them from behind, and we'll come at them from this end and we'll all grind them into powder."

            "Would you object to some reconnaissance information?" Angewoman suggested.  As Gatomon, I can move around almost undetected, especially with an entire jungle to hide in."

            "Alright, but be careful and quick," TK cautioned.  Angewoman smiled briefly before digivolving down to Gatomon.  Gatomon smiled slightly and then scurried into the underbrush and then vanished.  Kari, TK and Angemon remained where they were for what seemed like hours, waiting for her to return.  TK's watch indicated that it had been nearly twenty minutes before she returned.

            "There are a lot of them," she reported, slightly winded.  "There seemed to be another one in charge, but I couldn't get a look at him."

            "What where they?" Kari asked.

            "I've never seen them before," Gatomon confessed.

            "Descriptions," TK spoke up, tersely.

            "Only one kind of digimon, maybe thirty or forty of them," Gatomon reported.  "They stood about five feet in height, maybe a little under that.  They're wearing purple chest armor, along with arm and leg gauntlets, and helmets, with beaks on them.  They each wield what looks to be a nineteen inch sai in each hand, and they have large black wings coming out of their backs."

            "Karatenmon," TK breathed.  "You said thirty to forty?"

            "Yep.  Can we take them?"

            "Not a chance in hell," TK muttered.  "Why are they waiting?"

            "Ryo?" Kari wondered.

            "The Karatenmon," TK corrected.

            "Maybe they know who we are, and don't want to risk fighting us head on," Kari suggested.

            "Thirty Karatenmon could probably beat Seraphimon," TK shook his head.  "And Angewoman would be a joke for them.  They're killers.  Assassins, breed by Daemon for his army.  Ultimate level wizard digimon.  A swarm of that size could take us no problem.  So what are they waiting for?"

            Suddenly, the bushes at the far end of the clearing began to rustle, and TK dropped to a crouch, beckoning for Angemon to come closer.

            "Get ready to bio-merge," TK breathed.  "Kari, you and Angewoman make a run for it.  Maybe we can distract them long enough for you to run for help."  The bushes rustled another moment, and then a digimon stepped out that was not even close to what Gatomon had described.

            It was enormous, nearly ten feet tall, with the body of a horse, or goat, and the torso of a human.  Its head was surmounted by a pair of slightly curved horns, and it didn't have hands, so much as three claws that connected to the arm in a triangular shape, allowing them to open and close, and grasp things in them.  On the back of the horses body was a large pair of feathered wings.  It seemed not so much a digimon as their worst nightmare come to life.  TK swore under his breath.

            "What in God's name is that?" Gatomon demanded, while Kari tried to suppress a scream.

            "The leader," TK replied, standing up and motioning for Angemon to come closer.  "Let's bio-merge.  It won't do much good, but at least he respects Seraphimon."  Angemon nodded, and the pair bio-merged.

            "Seraphimon, what is that thing?" Kari whispered as Seraphimon seemed to take a deep breath.

            "It's name is Galfmon," Seraphimon replied, grimly.  "It is a Mega level Demon Beast digimon.  It is also Daemon's second in command."

            "Dragon childe!" Galfmon roared.  "We know that you are here!  Come out, so that we may talk of affairs."

            "It could be a trick," Seraphimon muttered under his breath.

            "What do you mean?" Kari wondered.

            "Talking of affairs is an ancient custom that immediately grants total neutrality to any area, for a certain length of time," the angel replied.  "Galfmon's essentially offered a truce for the time being.  Which would explain the Karatenmon, too.  It's not like Galfmon needs any help; they've got to be here purely to convince me that they're serious about this."

            "Are you going to trust him?" Angewoman wondered, her tone clearly indicating that she thought little of Galfmon's offer.

            "It doesn't matter if I trust him, I trust Daemon," Seraphimon smiled.  "Daemon is an ancient digimon and he was raised believing in the old ways.  If he learns that Galfmon offered to talk of affairs with me and he attacked me, Galfmon wouldn't last an hour.  Besides, Daemon doesn't let Galfmon out of his sight that often, and it's not like he could sneak out.  Especially not with thirty Karatenmon.  No, this has to come from Daemon, and I can understand him.  Kari, Angewoman, stay here."

            With a flap of his wings, Seraphimon shot out of the brush and then gently floated down to hover in front of the massive beast.

            "Welcome, Childe of the Dragon," Galfmon rumbled as Seraphimon slowly descended from the sky and landed right in front of the massive beast.

            "I have come in response to your offer," Seraphimon replied, crossing his arms across his chest.  "What affairs do you wish to speak of?"

            "My master has ordered me to pass on an invitation," Galfmon replied.  "He entreats you to come to his temple in four days time to plan out the future of this world."

            "What?"  Seraphimon's arms dropped, and he stood, staring.

            "There is another presence in the digital world, one whose power has begun to grow.  Soon, if not checked, it will dwarf my master's, and you master's.  Indeed, it will become so powerful that the Destroyer shall be unable to rebirth himself.  And my master cannot allow that to pass."

            "You're trying to tell me that Daemon is willing to put aside all hostilities until we defeat this new menace?"

            "Until YOU defeat this old menace from the past," Galfmon retorted.  "This new presence has its origins in your past battles.  Thus, my master and I see no reason to involve ourselves."

            "So you simply chose to sit on the sides, until we annihilate each other.  Convenient," Seraphimon growled, flexing his hands.

            "We have no intention of moving against you, Childe of the Dragon-God," Galfmon replied.  "We simply wish for you to settle things with this old foe of yours, Hope Child."

            "Who?  Who is it that you fear so much?"

            "Don't you know?  It was your greatest foe."  Galfmon grinned, a truly frightening sight, and whirled, letting out a bellowing roar.  Thirty Karatenmon shot from the woods on the other side of the clearing, their black wings making a thunderous sound as they flew skyward, quickly followed by Galfmon.  Within moments, they had all dwindled to small specks in the afternoon sky.


	14. chapter 13

Chapter 13

            Nancy Takeshi shot up in her bed as she heard her son scream.  "On no, not again," she whispered to herself as she hurriedly wrapped a robe around herself and ran down the hall to his room, throwing the door open and looking inside.  TK was sitting up in his bed, sweat clinging to his naked torso as his arms wrapped around his legs, and his hands were clutching the sides of his head.  He was gently rocking back and forth, muttering incoherently to himself.

            "That's not what happened.  It didn't happen that way.  She wasn't with us.  She didn't die like that.  That's not what happened."

            "TK?  Honey, it's me."  Nancy wrapped her youngest son in her arms and gently rocked him as she continued to whisper reassurances to him.  "TK, it's alright.  It was just a dream.  Everything is fine."

            "Mom?  I…I'm alright," TK sighed, gently disentangling himself from his mother.  "Thanks.  I'm alright now."

            "Was it a vision?"  Patamon spoke up for the first time, hover slightly above Nancy's head.

            "No.  Just a dream.  It was just a dream," he repeated to himself.

            "Are you sure you're alright?" Nancy asked, looking at her son with worry evident in her eyes and manner.

            "Not really," TK muttered.  Then, raising his voice some, "Yeah, I'm fine.  Just not going to be getting much more sleep tonight."

            "Do you want me to stay home today?"

            "No, but if you could call the school for me…"

            "Just remind me in the morning, honey," Nancy smiled.  TK smiled back until she had closed the door and waited another minute as Patamon flew out the small pet door he'd installed in the bottom of his door, then the smile he had plastered onto his face crumbled as he leaned over for the mini-fridge in his closet and pulled out a can of beer.  He quickly opened it and downed it in several swift gulps, then reached for another.  And another.

            "TK, honey, I'm leaving for work now, the school called earlier to say that…TK?"  Nancy stopped as she opened the door to her son's room and was rapidly hit with the smell of alcohol.  "Oh TK," she sighed, quietly making her way over to her son, who was sprawled unconscious on his bed.  Several empty beer cans littered the ground around his bed, while several more were sticking out of the trash can.  "TK?  You need to wake up, sweaty."  She gently shook him until he finally groaned and covered his head with his pillow.

            "I guess it's morning?" he mumbled.

            "Yep," Nancy sighed.  "How's your head?"

            "Where's the aspirin?"

            "That well, I take it.  Well, you'll be happy to know that you don't have to go to school today, or for the rest of the week."

            "Huh?"

            "Your Principal just called a few minutes ago.  Apparently, there's a gas leak they're having trouble tracking down.  They think it'll take the rest of the week to fix, so they just cancelled school until Monday."

            "Nice."

            "And Kari should be here in about a half-an-hour, so you might want to get up," Nancy called as she headed for his door.

            "WHAT?"  Nancy didn't bother to hide the smile on her face as she stopped and turned back to her son.

            "Kari is on her way over.  I didn't think hangovers generally interfered with hearing?"

            "I take it you're enjoying this," TK groaned as he hauled himself up from the mattress and stumbled over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt, along with a clean pair of boxers.

            "Oh yes, I always enjoy waking up to discover that my son decided to hide his problems inside a bottle," Nancy shot back.  Her voice softened as she looked over her son.  "TK, please.  I'm worried about you.  If you won't talk to me, then talk to Kari.  She loves you.  I'd hate for you to lose her because of whatever it is that's haunting you."

            "You have no idea," TK muttered as he shuffled towards the bathroom, and a cold shower.  He emerged several minutes later, freshly cleaned and his head wasn't pounding as much as it had been earlier.  There was no sign of his mother, so he could only assume that she had already left for work.  He shuffled out to the living room and turned on the television and started channel surfing for a couple more minutes until he heard the doorbell ring.  He leapt to his feet and opened the door, quickly pulling Kari into an embrace and a gentle kiss.

            "Well, hello to you too," Kari smiled as she gently ran her hand along his cheek.  "A girl could get used to that kind of greeting, you know."

            "Good," TK grinned, gently drawing her into the apartment.  "I want as many reasons for you to stick with me as I can get."

            "I don't think you need to worry about that," Kari laughed, settling next to him on the couch.  "By the way, what's that taste on your breath?"

            "What taste?" TK lied, gently nipping at her neck.  Kari tangled her hands in his hair and carefully pulled him back, catching his eyes.

            "The taste that tells me your breath used to really stink, but you used too much mouthwash to try and cover it up," she replied, concern evident in her eyes.  "TK, you're really tense.  What's bothering you?"

            "Who said anything was bothering me?" TK demanded, pulling back from her.  "Maybe my breath was just really bad this morning?"

            "Then why are you being so hostile about it?" Kari asked.

            "Hey, you're the one who came over here to interrogate me!"

            "No, I came over here to spend the day with my loving, caring boyfriend!" Kari shot back.  "Why don't you have him give me a call when he gets back?"  She stood up and started to head for the door, but TK stopped her halfway, with a hand on her arm.

            "Wait!"  Her glare caused him to begin studying the floor.

            "I'm sorry," he whispered.  "I've been on edge recently, and, well, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to be so harsh."  Kari gently removed his hand from her arm, but stayed where she was.

            "TK, I do love you, OK?  I know you're nervous about Davis and all, but I love you.  But it's really damned frustrating to love you when every time I start to get too close to you, you clam up.  I want to be with you, but you make it so damned hard sometimes."

            "I'm sorry," he whispered.

            "TK, I know you didn't mean to lash out at me, but I need you to open up to me, OK?  I need to know that you trust me with your feeling."

            "I had a nightmare last night, that left me so scared that I had to get myself good and drunk in order to even risk going back to sleep," TK stated.

            "What?"

            "You wanted me to be open and tell you what was wrong.  Fine.  For the last three years, I've kept a near continuous supply of alcohol in my room because I will have this dream that leaves me so frightened that I have to drink myself into oblivion.  I can only remember vague images from the dream, nothing substantial.  I'm just left with this overwhelming sense of dread and horror and helplessness and it's all I can do to keep from drowning in my own vomit every time I have it."

            "TK…"  Kari reached out a hand, but stopped halfway, unsure of how to react.

            "The only real sense I get from the dream every time is that you're in danger, and that there's nothing I can do to save you.  So, now you know.  I'll understand if you want to have nothing more to do with me."  TK turned and headed back towards the couch, but felt himself suddenly pulled around as Kari dragged him into a deep and passionate kiss.

            "I'm so sorry," she whispered.  "I had no idea."

            "You weren't supposed to," TK replied, gently smiling.  "That was kind of the whole point.  No one was supposed to know.  The only one who knows is Ryo, and that's just because I had to tell someone before I went crazy."

            "You can tell me," Kari smiled, gently leading him back to the couch with her.

            "I can now," TK smiled, leaning in to kiss her once more.  The kiss started out gently, but quickly began to escalate.  It became fiercer, more passionate.  Kari soon found herself pulling TK's shirt off, and admiring his lean, athletic chest before kissing him again.  As for TK, he simply found himself unable to keep his hands off Kari, sent them roaming and caressing, undoing the buttons of her blouse, exposing her white lace bra and planes of soft creamy flesh.  At one point they lost their balance and fell over onto the couch, with TK lying underneath Kari.  As they separated from another, intense kiss, they became dimly aware of a ringing noise.  TK groaned.  "If you say anything about hearing bells," he grumbled, swatting around the coffee table until he found the cordless phone.  "Takeshi.  Oh, hey Tai.  Yeah, she's here.  We were just…talking.  Hang on.  Here, he wants to talk to you," TK smirked, handing Kari the phone.

            "What do you want Tai?"

            *Hello to you too!* Tai laughed.  *You left early this morning, so Mom and Dad got worried about you, but I told them I probably knew where you were, so you're off the hook for now.*

            "Thanks Tai," Kari groaned, remembering how she had practically shot out of the apartment this morning after learning that school had been cancelled, and how she hadn't told her mother where she was going.  All she had been thinking of was her particularly…erotic dream last night involving herself and TK, and how she had to see him.

            *So, why does talking leave you both so breathless?*

            "Shut up, Tai," Kari winced.

            *Look, I'm not going to tell anyone, just be careful, alright?* Tai cautioned.

            "We are…we just kind of…umm…"

            *No, I do NOT want the mental pictures that will inevitably follow any such explanation,* Tai laughed.  *I just wanted to make sure you were alright.  I'm going to guess you're going to be there the rest of the day then?*

            "Either here or out somewhere," Kari smiled, looking down at TK's face.  "If we go anywhere, I'll call you first."

            *Alright, later then.*  Kari smiled and hit the talk button, ending the conversation.

            "Something about not checking in on time?" TK grinned.

            "Big brother checking up on me, and bailing me out," Kari confessed, gently running her hands along TK's washboard stomach.  "I forgot to tell Mom where I was going this morning."

            "Oh boy," TK groaned.  "Haven't they let you grow up yet?"

            "They most certainly have!" Kari sputtered, indignantly.  "They're just worried about me," she confessed, her tone softening.  TK…I…that is…we…what just…"

            "We were making out," TK smiled, gently drawing her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her but making no move to undo their current position.  "Boys and girls do that when they're involved."

            "You mentioned something about getting in my pants eventually," Kari grinned.

            "I believe that I did," TK grinned.  "But, not now."  He gently reached up and kissed her forehead.  "I'd like nothing more than to make love to you, but I think I'd like to woo you a bit more, if you don't mind."

            "What if I did?" Kari wondered, a twinkle in her eyes.

            "Well," TK drawled, gently kissing his way from her shoulder to mouth.  "Then I might have to take you into my room and lock the door."

            "As long as you're in the room with me," Kari breathed as he continued to kiss his way from her mouth to her other shoulder.

            "I can think of very little that would make me happier," TK smiled, drawing her into another kiss.  They were interrupted by an incessant beeping, coming form TK's room.

            "I'm beginning to think someone doesn't want us to be together," Kari groaned as she moved to let TK up.  He headed into his room and emerged a moment later with a cell phone.

            "Takeshi.  Yeah, what…oh…alright…no, I'll be there in a few minutes.  Who else?…yeah, good.  Alright, get in touch with everyone else and feed me the coordinates.  I'll be there in a few.  Right, later bro."  TK clicked his cell phone shut, his face suddenly closed.

            "What's wrong?"

            "Something's happened in the digital world.  Ryo thinks it has something to do with the new Emperor.  We're moving in now to check it out."

            "Not without me you aren't," Kari replied, standing back up and re-buttoning her blouse.  "Come on, Gatomon's still at my house."

            "Go on home, grab her and bring Tai," TK replied, pulling his shirt back on.  "Something feels…off about this.  I want some big guns on this."

            "You gun is plenty big," Kari whispered into his ear before kissing him and leaving.  TK smiled for a moment before heading back to his room and whistling for Patamon.

            "Tai!  Are you home?"

            "Yeah, I'm right here," Tai replied from the recliner in the living room.  "I thought you and TK…?"

            "Something came up," Kari replied, moving towards her room.  "Come on, we need you."

            "Hey, wait up!" Tai called as he followed her.  "What's going on?"

            "I'm not sure yet," Kari replied, as she pulled up the portal program form her computer.  "TK got a call from Ryo that something was wrong in the digital world, and TK sent me back here to get you and Gatomon before I headed in."

            "Let me mail Agumon," Tai replied, suddenly all business.

            "Already done," Kari smiled at him.  "Portal's opening, are you coming?"  Tai pulled out his digivice, and Kari pulled out hers.

            Ryo sat alone on a mountain top, save for the hulking for of his partner, Cyberdramon.  His shades covered his eyes for the moment, but the rest of his face indicated the horror that he was witnessing.  Through his bond with Cyberdramon, he smelt TK, Kari, and Tai coming up the hill, saw the heat that they radiated.  He had often wondered why none of the others had ever gone as deeply into their links with their partners as he and Cyberdramon had.  If it hadn't been for that, they'd have never found out about bio-merging; which was still an event he didn't want to remember.

            He stood as the trio crested the hill with their respective partners.

            "Alright, bro, what's up?" TK demanded upon finding Ryo alone.

            "That," Ryo replied, gesturing down to the barren wasteland bellow them.

            "It's a dessert," Tai replied.  "So?"

            "There used to be a village down there," Ryo replied.

            "You called us with an emergency to tell us a village used to be here?" Tai demanded, incredulously.

            "Used to be here last night," Ryo replied.  "A farming village."

            "How do you farm in a desert?" Kari wondered.

            "This wasn't desert," TK replied, his voice hushed.  "Ryo, that…this is…"

            "Syoden used to be down there," Ryo replied.  "It was a thriving farming village of close to eight hundred digimon, from fresh to ultimate.  I passed through there two days ago when I was hunting leads on the Emperor.

            "There's data in the air," Cyberdramon picked up, his grim, steely voice adding to the prevailing sense of doom.  "Enough to convince me that there were no survivors."

            "Eight hundred digimon?" Agumon repeated.  "How?  Who?"

            "The how, we're still working on," Ryo replied.  "As for the who, we know that easily.  He damn well signed his work."  Ryo gestured with his arm to a massive looming shape in the center of the destruction.

            "A control spire," TK growled.

            "This new Emperor isn't much for originality," Ryo observed.  "Besides, the damned thing isn't even working."

            "It doesn't need to," TK replied.  "The sheer terror of seeing one would probably be enough for most digimon to vacate immediately.  So, why destroy the village?"

            "A sign of force?" Tai suggested.

            "No, it can't be," Ryo replied frowning.  "Like the man said, the mere sight of a control spire is enough to cause most digimon to crap themselves.  If one suddenly appeared in the center of a village, every digimon in the village would be gone within two hours."

            "Ken frightened them that much?" Kari wondered, unable to reconcile that with the Ken she had come to know.

            "No, the Digimon Emperor frightened them that much," Ryo replied.  "Ken and that monster have nothing in common."

            "Have you or anyone else been in there yet?" TK suddenly spoke up.

            "No, 'Tash and I found it this morning.  No one else has come near the place.  I sent 'Tash to Machine City to have Andromon interface with their sensors, see if they picked up anything from this area last night."

            "The one and only time I will ever be grateful for something Machinedramon did," TK replied.  "Alright, why don't you and I bio-merge and head down there, take a look around."

            "Why?"

            "Is there some deep seeded need you have to argue with me?" TK wondered as he and Angemon bio-merged.

            "Yes," Ryo grinned as he and Cyberdramon bio-merged.  

            "Alright," Justimon grinned, flexing his arms.  "Let's head down and take a look."

            "Lets," Seraphimon replied, dryly.  The pair lifted off the ground and shot down to the crater below.

            "Tai?" Agumon spoke up.  "Do you think we could learn to do that?  It would be kind of neat to have you and me flying together as WarGreymon."

            "I don't know, buddy," Tai replied, gently rubbing his partners head.  "We'll have to ask TK and Ryo sometime."

            Seraphimon and Justimon gently landed in the center of the crater.  Both appeared calm and unassuming on the outside, but internally they were both on hair triggers.  Seraphimon's hands gently glowed from stored energy, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice into a destructive blast.  Justimon's arm was in blaster-mode, held ready at his side.

            "Hell in a hand basket," Justimon muttered as they took in the total devastation.

            "Nothing could have survived this blast," Seraphimon remarked.

            "No crap.  Look at these burn marks," Seraphimon muttered, crouching over a kind of swirling pattern on the ground.

            "Now those are familiar," Justimon replied, moving over next to him.  "Could one of them have escaped when the fortress crashed?"

            "And remained totally off the radar of ourselves, the Guardians, and the rest of the digital world?" Seraphimon wondered.  "Not a chance in hell.  It's damn near five thousand miles from the desert to here.  Let's face it, those things aren't exactly inconspicuous."  He suddenly tensed and sprang back to his feet, his hands glowing even more.  Justimon brought his arm up into a ready position as he scanned the surrounding wilderness.

            "KARI!  TAI!  GET DOWN HERE!  HURRY!"  Seraphimon didn't even bother to look to see if they had listened to him, he was busy focusing on a section of the forest.

            "What is it?" Justimon murmured.

            "I'm not sure," Seraphimon replied, still looking over one particular patch of forest.  "What ever it is, it's powerful.  Maybe the thing that…"  Seraphimon broke off as a massive roar filled the air and a massive monster erupted out of the forest.

            It was a digimon, the likes of which neither Tai nor Kari had ever seen.  It seemed to be made up of bits and pieces of other digimon.  It had the torso of a Greymon, the legs of a Garurumon, two sets of wings, one from an Angemon, the other from an Airdramon, it's tail was from a Monochormon, the head of a Kabuterimon, with hair from a MetalGreymon, a pair of arms from a Devimon, and a mismatched pair of second arms, the left coming from a Kuwagamon and the right from a SkullGreymon.  It stood several stories tall, towering over the them, it's massive roar shattering the very air.

            "Justimon, break right, I'll take left!  Tai, get us WarGreymon, we need him!  Kari, get back and call the others!  Use my cell, speed dial three!  Tell 'Tasha we've got a Kimeramon!"


End file.
